Water tankers were a top priority in the service package formulation for Goma. Tens of thousands of refugees were dying of dehydration, dysentery and cholera on arrival in Zaire. The provision of clean water would make the difference between life and death. But that was not the case here. People were everywhere.
People think that the only life-saving things are food and medicine.
But there are many others things which are just as important. These service packages are all basic needs. Grandi said the swift deployment of bulldozers and earth movers could have saved more lives. Initially, a few military bulldozers were secured and flown in from the United States. Despite the chaos and confusion on the ground, as many as 40 flights a day from around the world brought relief supplies into the small Goma airfield.