The involvement of the military in the humanitarian effort can make the work of civilian agencies such as NGOs and others very difficult. There is a blurring of the separation between military and civilian personnel. This can be dangerous, especially if the neutrality and impartiality of emergency aid distribution is to be effective. Throwing bags of wheat off the back of a truck is no substitute for the painstaking efforts of NGOs and UN agencies in determining those who are most in need and delivering assistance on that basis. In emergencies all over the world, NGOs, the UN and others such as the Red Cross family have clearly demonstrated that they are best practised and equipped to provide the most effective assistance. We have only to look at their work in southern Africa, the Horn of Africa, East Timor and Afghanistan to see how effective they can be.