Humanitarian daily rations (HDRs, "humrats") are foodrations manufactured in theUnited States intended to be supplied to civilians and other non-military personnel in humanitarian crises.[1][2]Each is intended to serve as a single person's full daily food supply, and contains somewhat over 2,200 calories (9,200 J). They haveshelf-lives of about 3 years, and their contents are designed to be acceptable to a variety of religious and ethnic groups. The meals cost approximately one-fifth of the cost of aMeal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE),[3] or US$4.70 in 2012.[4] The rations were first used inBosnia in 1993 as part ofOperation Provide Promise.[5]
The meals are designed to be able to survive being air-dropped without a parachute.[3]This is safer for refugees than parachuting large pallets of rations, and prevents meal hoarding by those able to seize a single, large delivery.
HDRs are made available through organizations such asThe Salvation Army to aid victims ofpoverty in the United States, and were distributed duringHurricane Katrina,Hurricane Rita andHurricane Helene to victims of the disasters by theFederal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).[citation needed]
Before the HDR was made available, the United States provided militaryMeal, Ready-to-Eat (MREs) to famine victims. Aid agencies complained that the MREs were too high in protein, indigestible, and violated religious taboos. In some cases, famine victims went into shock (seerefeeding syndrome) after eating large MRE meals.[6]: 9 By the time of the creation of the HDR, the Department of Defense had almost depleted its stock of MREs in the post–Gulf War period, having distributed 53 million MREs between 1990 and 1993. The end of the Cold War caused reductions in military funding, prompting the DoD to rethink its approach on aid. Furthermore, MRE producers found the profit in producing MRE "marginal" and wanted to expand to foreign and civilian markets. The HDR provided a solution to all these problems: it is safe to provide to famine victims, cheap enough to distribute broadly, and provides a large potential market to contractors.[6]: 9–10
The HDR packages are delivered in cases of packages. Each contains a small selection of food items based on predetermined menus, and an accessory pack containing red pepper, pepper, salt, sugar, spoon, matches, an alcohol-free moist towelette, and a napkin.[7][8]
HDRs are typically air-dropped into the disaster area on large pallets. From the time they were created and used in 1993 until November 2001, HDRs were packaged with a bright yellow outer plastic covering. This choice of color proved to be problematic in areas of the world wherecluster bombs were being used, as the bombs were the same shade of yellow. Recipients of the rations sometimes confused the ration package for undetonated cluster bombs, often spotting the bright color from a distance and making an incorrect assumption.[7][9] This prompted theUnited States Federal Government to reissue the packages with a deep salmon pink outer covering to distinguish them from the bombs. This color has been used in the HDR manufacturing process ever since. Later packages were covered insalmon colored foil.[10]
HDRs produced in theUnited States are manufactured by the same companies that produce MREs designed for theUnited States Armed Forces. Like MREs, the food components are designed so they can be consumed without requiring additional preparation, including cooking. They do not includeflameless ration heaters, which are found in MREs.
There are five menus of HDR. Each menu contains three sub-menus, printed as list-of-content A, B, and C on the packet. Each HDR packet randomly contains two of the sub-menus.[11]
| Shelf life | 36 months at 80 °F (27 °C) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 30 ounces (850 g) | ||||||||||||
| Calories | ≥ 2,200 calories (9,200 kJ) | ||||||||||||
| Nutrition |
For micronutrients, see full Technical Data.[1] | ||||||||||||
| Prohibited contents | The HDR is designed to "provide the widest possible acceptance from the variety of potential consumers with diverse religious and dietary restrictions from around the world".[13]
| ||||||||||||
| Infant component | All rations contain a fruit paste, orpudding, suitable for feeding to infants | ||||||||||||
| Utensils | All rations contain a spoon and a paper towel moistened with a non-toxic, non-alcoholic cleanser |
In Bosnia, 1993, HDRs saw their first use inOperation Provide Promise, which delivered "hundreds of thousands of HDR's [sic]".[5] By 2003, at least 12.4 million HDRs had been distributed.[6]: 26
| Year | Count | Location | Intended recipient | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | ? | Bosnia | Civilian | French and US aircraft, airdrop |
| 1993 | 0 | India | Earthquake victims | None; rejected by Indian government because "not needed" |
| 1994 | ? | DR Congo | Rwandan refugees | US military, airdrop |
| 1995 | 118,000 | Cambodia | Khmer Rouge defectors and displaced persons | Cambodian Red Cross, changed to Royal Cambodian Armed Forces due to theft |
| 1995–1996 | 530,000 | Chechnya | Civilians recovering from theFirst Chechen War | World Food Program (WFP) |
| 1997 | 50,000 | Somalia | Victims of Juba valley flooding | Concern Worldwide (NGO), contracted by UNICEF |
| 1998 | 200,000 | Fiji | Schoolchildren under prolonged drought | Fiji Red Cross |
| 1999–2000 | 30,000 | Kosovo | Civilians under Serbian blockade | International Rescue Committee (airdrop); the WFP had ~700,000 in stockpile for when land route clears |
| 1999 | 60,000 | Guinea | Sierra Leone refugees | WFP, UNICEF, UNHCR and several NGOs |
| 1999–2000 | 300,000 | East Timor | Civilians (refugee flows, flooding, ethnic violence) | WFP, Australian Defence Force |
| 2000 | ~40,000 | Eritrea | Internally displaced persons | WFP |
| 2001 | 2,440,920 | Afghanistan | Civilians | US military (number from 2003 source) |
| 2001 | ? | Guinea | Refugees fromNongoa region | NGOs, via the WFP |
| 2010 | ? | Haiti | Earthquake victims | WFP[14] |
On October 15, 2001, the United States announced a humanitarian daily ration forAfghanistan.[15]
On October 24, 2001,Rear AdmiralJohn Dickson Stufflebeem announced fears that theTaliban planned to poison American food aid.[16] Stufflebeem also said that since the program started on October 7, 2001 the United States had dropped 785,000 rations.[17]
Hundreds of thousands of HDR's were first air-dropped over isolated Bosnian enclaves on November 22, 1993, as part of the humanitarian relief effortPROVIDE PROMISE. Since then, the food packets have fed thousands of refugees worldwide.
There are five different menus of HDRs. With a case of 10 HDRs, you'll have two of each type of HDR available. Depending on the HDR manufacturer (Ameriqual, Sopakco, or Wornick), each HDR type could have one of three lists of contents – A, B, or C. For example, if you had a case of HDR, you would get 10 HDRs – two from each menu. However, it's a toss-up as to whether (for example with Menu 1) you'd get Bean Salad, Barley Stew, or Beans & Rice. This was a little confusing for me at first – just by looking at the menu, you'd think each HDR bag would contain meals A, B, and C. But I can assure you that's not how it works.
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