Some humanitarian groups say the US military airdrops of food in Afghanistan might turn out to be ineffective and possibly counterproductive. US administration officials said the drops were a small part of the necessary humanitarian assistance, and agreed that one purpose was to win the support of the Afghan people.
The administrator of the US Agency for International Development, Andrew Natsios, said the deliveries were aimed at saving lives.

But he added: "When you're feeding people, you're making a statement. I don't think that's bad, I think that's good .... We want to send a message."
Planes loaded with the food aid are dropping 37,000 yellow ration packets a day, each containing two meals.

Nicolas de Torrente, executive director of Doctors without Borders-USA, said Wednesday that food drops by partisans in a fight can jeopardize aid workers who must maintain their neutrality.
If aid is not perceived to be free of political objectives, he said, "it can be claimed by one or both sides as a part of the war effort. Aid and aid workers can then become targets of war." Bureau Report