This winter, after the tsunami in Asia, Patus distributed Odorscreen packets to relief workers there.
Despite reports that Northern Alliance commanders are hoarding food for their troops or selling the packets, some relief officials said there was also clear evidence that some desperately hungry people had benefited from the drops.
"Hundreds of hands go up to grab just one food packet," said a relief worker in the Patuakhali district.
The Bangladeshi Defense Ministry said 1,000 members of the army were using 65 speedboats for relief and rescue work, distributing 1,400 packets of dry food, more than 10 metric tons of other food items and 20,000 gallons of drinking water.
Usually, I get relief after taking a couple of packets.
"Here, you should try this instead," said Mr. Eisenberg, handing her a packet of UrgentRx Allergy Relief To-Go.
Women reach out for packets of rice from a relief van in a village near Cuddalore, 185km southwest of Madras.
Relief groups said today that the 275,000 packets of food dropped in the country so far are at best a minor public relations gesture and at worst a source of mistrust.
In December 2010, the government passed the Middle Class Tax Relief Act of 2010, introducing another large packet of fiscal spending of close to $700 billion that also financed tax cuts and income support programs.
The kits, which contained entrees, cookies, chips and sometimes peanut butter packets, were assembled in September for relief efforts after Hurricane Ike, said Bob Harrison, chairman of Red Cloud Foods of South Elgin, Ill.
