Two US Chinook helicopters equipped with a special type of offloading capability called "Sling Loading" delivered plastic sheeting to the remote village of Shoval on Saturday.
According to a press release, the special sling loading technique is new to relief efforts in Pakistan. By using it the effectiveness, capacity and speed of the relief efforts increased dramatically.
The sling loads, which are actually nets attached underneath the helicopters, greatly increase the carrying capacity of the chopper as well as the speed at which relief aid can be delivered to the affected areas. The US agency for international development (USAID) together with its partner Mercy Corps is distributing the plastic sheeting in the affected areas to help victims as the onset of the winter approaches.-PR