The World Food Programme wants to encourage responsible aid when the Pacific is hit by disasters.
The WFP said often aid that was sent was unhelpful, harmful and ended up being wasted.
It launched a campaign, through its DonateResponsibly website, to have donors think outside the box.
Photo: WFP/Nyani Quarmyne
The WFP said often after a major disaster in the Pacific, there was an influx of unrequested, donated goods sent by generous and well-meaning people.
It said sometimes this could hamper and overwhelm the response effort by taking up valuable port and storage space, blocking vital aid from getting through and stretching the resources of first responders.
The WFP said sorting donated goods could also be can be a major task and with some often unusable and ending up in landfills, wasting people's generosity, time and money.
Jo Pilgrim, of the WFP office in Suva , says with the cyclone season underway it wants to promote more effective ways to donate and says the best item people can give is money.