Humanitarian daily ration

[citation needed] Before the HDR was made available, the United States provided military Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MREs) to famine victims.

Aid agencies complained that the MREs were too high in protein, indigestible, and violated religious taboos.

The end of the Cold War caused reductions in military funding, prompting the DoD to rethink its approach on aid.

From the time they were created and used in 1993 until November 2001, HDRs were packaged with a bright yellow outer plastic covering.

[7][9] This prompted the United States Federal Government to reissue the packages with a deep salmon pink outer covering to distinguish them from the bombs.

Like MREs, the food components are designed so they can be consumed without requiring additional preparation, including cooking.

[15] On October 24, 2001, Rear Admiral John Dickson Stufflebeem announced fears that the Taliban planned to poison American food aid.

A modern humanitarian daily ration
A leaflet, dropped in Afghanistan, announcing a program to drop humanitarian daily rations
A humanitarian daily ration, in 1993–2001 yellow packaging, and typical contents on display at the National Air and Space Museum