Doing relief distributions such as these is a major part of the work I do I’ve the past few years. There’s ways to ensure that these distributions reach the right people and don’t lead to abuse of vulnerable populations beforehand. Let me speak generally. https://twitter.com/i_am_ilemona/status/1254101183196782593

First off: you need to have local partners, do an identification and develop a database of people in the community first. Phone numbers and the like, as much as possible. A major issue is some people identify community leaders and leave it at that, and that’s a terrible idea.

For one thing, you leave too much discretion in the hands of one person to distribute equitably. Also: some comm leaders tend to be main culprits in trying to exchange sex for food, for which many young mothers and young girls are vulnerable

So instead of looking for reps in the community, you actually go round and do some prior identification, give the slips for the food directly. You could have different groups identify leads in different parts of the area so everyone feels involved, including a Village head.

When you buy food like this, you likely don’t mean to give a whole 50kg bag to one person. So do your repackaging before you get to the community, otherwise looting can easily happen. Make sure only those previously identified with slips recieve food.

Equitable food distributions also cause conflict, though. Often, those who do not receive get angry. It’s normal. That’s why you have to make sure that you have a Village Head engage prior on why those that are getting are getting. It won’t 100% work, but hey

Yorubas say it’s only when the left washes the right and right washes the left that both hands can be clean. The most important thing to these things is to ensure accountability is transparency and robust community involvement.