Humanitarian Aid
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure aid air drops are carried out safely to avoid unintentional harm.
Answered by Chris Elmore
In the last few years, the UK has been involved in a limited number of aid air drops operations, specifically into Gaza. The latest effort in July 2025 was led by Jordan where up to £500,000 of humanitarian aid was procured by the UK and placed onto Royal Jordanian Air Force aircrafts. In line with humanitarian principles, we assess all delivery methods to minimise unintended consequences and ensure aid does not exacerbate existing vulnerabilities or tensions. We have been clear from the start that whilst airdrops into Gaza would have helped to alleviate the worst of the suffering, land routes serve as the only viable and sustainable means of providing aid at scale.
Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →