The Jordanian Armed Forces made 10 airdrops of humanitarian relief into northern Gaza on Saturday.
The airdrops were carried out in cooperation with the United States, France, Egypt and Belgium, the military said in a statement.
“Jordan continues its endeavors and efforts to send more medical, relief and food aid to people in the Gaza Strip with the aim of compensating for the acute shortage of food and medicine as a result of the continuing Israeli war on the Strip,” the statement added.
Jordan said it has carried out 35 aid airdrops on Gaza since November 6.
A video obtained by CNN on Saturday shows several military transport aircraft dropping humanitarian aid in areas in Gaza.
Some context: While airdrops are a speedy way of getting supplies into a conflict zone, aid agencies say their drawbacks overwhelmingly outweigh their benefits.
For starters, they are more expensive. Airdrops cost up to seven times as much as land deliveries, the World Food Programme says. They also have much more limited delivery capacity.
“Humanitarian workers always complain that airdrops are good photo opportunities but a lousy way to deliver aid,” Richard Gowan, the International Crisis Group’s United Nations director, told CNN.
Aid workers are urging the US to pressure its ally Israel to lift the tight siege it holds on the enclave, which has left Palestinians on the brink of famine.
