Fogbow, a U.S.-based company, has recently air dropped humanitarian aid within South Sudan. This act has generated considerable excitement and a significant amount of anxiety among aid organizations and watchers. Fogbow was created by a passionate group of former U.S. intelligence officials and veteran members of America’s armed forces. Their vision is to achieve a positive gain in relief interventions inside active conflict theaters. These air drops provided 16 tons of food, water, and medical supplies to the town of Nasir in the Upper Nile state. These supplies consisted of crucial products such as beans, corn, and salt.
Michael Mulroy leads Fogbow as President. He is a retired CIA officer who has been a senior defense official under the Trump administration. Under his leadership, Fogbow has grown its work beyond the borders of South Sudan, conducting humanitarian aid drops in Sudan as well as in Gaza. The Israeli government allegedly supported the professed humanitarian aid drops in Gaza. The South Sudanese government funded the aid provided in South Sudan.
Despite the challenging environment in South Sudan, where fighting continues in surrounding areas, Fogbow reported that their recent aid drops went without incident. They attribute their success to the deep expertise of their contractors, particularly in security, logistics and intelligence. Yet, this claim creates further issues for humanitarian advocates by obfuscating the accountability and transparency of these operations.
We’ve poured decades of labor, together, in war-torn places. And we know how to make even the most challenging scenarios truly sing, Mulroy continued, stressing Fogbow’s focus on delivering humanitarian aid.
Nevertheless, some humanitarian advocates have issued several important cautions about the consequences of military engagement on humanitarian activities. Jan Egeland, the Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, sounded the alarm on U.S. support for the operations. According to him, Israeli military support threatens humanitarian outreach. “Why does the U.S. want to support what they have resisted with every other war zone for two generations?” he asked.
The use of former soldiers in humanitarian missions has come under criticism from many different sides. Mark Millar, a humanitarian business modeler and expert, pointed out the conflicts created when business models meets humanitarian needs. He noted that some entities “have even less sympathy for a humanitarian perspective that complicates their business-driven model,” raising alarms about the accountability of organizations like Fogbow.
Fogbow is not without its challenges. The company almost ran into a major cudgel before, during its aid drops in Sudan’s South Kordofan region last year. A logistical glitch resulted in poorly wrapped grain sacks splitting open upon landing, leading to wasted supplies and highlighting the complexities of conducting aid operations in volatile regions.
Mulroy responded to criticism of their position on humanitarian aid. He stressed that Fogbow was intended to supplement, not supplant, current humanitarian agencies. “We’re not trying to supplant anybody,” he said emphatically. He assured that if any aid were not reaching civilians as intended, they would “hope that we would get that feedback, and we would cease and desist.”
Fogbow has additionally worked with the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in multiple capacities. WFP’s Mary-Ellen McGroarty clarified that the organization is not involved in planning or executing air-dropped food distributions, underscoring the independent nature of Fogbow’s operations.
Scott Paul, an expert on humanitarian logistics, further elaborated on the distinctions between different types of operations in conflict zones. “There’s a difference between a logistics operation and a security operation, and a humanitarian operation,” he remarked, suggesting that blending these functions can undermine the integrity of humanitarian missions.
Fogbow is committed to bringing relief in South Sudan and wherever else we are called. It has come under continuous challenge for its approach and intentions. The private company’s fusion of military experience and humanitarian aim affords it a uniquely modern role in the delivery of aid. This combination poses important challenges in terms of accountability and the potential to militarize humanitarian assistance.
