This amount of food could have fed 1.5 million children.
A value of $800 000
The Trump administration has ordered the incineration of 500 tons of food purchased by USAID. This amount of emergency food could have fed 1.5 million children for a week. These high-energy cookies, intended for children under five living in war or disaster zones, had been purchased by USAID for $800 000 under the Biden administration.
Expiration date
The cookies, currently stored in Dubai, are past their sell-by date of July 15. According to current and former government employees who spoke to The Atlantic, the food will be burned within a few weeks.
Food for children in Afghanistan and Pakistan
According to The Atlantic, the food was to be distributed this year to children in Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, Doge's (Department of Government Effectiveness) axing of U.S. foreign aid, including USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development), has hampered these efforts.
60 000 tons of food in American warehouses
According to USAID inventories dating from January, some 60 000 tons of food are currently stored in American warehouses around the world. Most of this is peas and cereals originally destined for Sudan, which is facing famine. However, since the dismissal of USAID logistics experts, the Trump administration would no longer be able to deliver them, even if it wanted to.
Rubio's promise
Despite repeated internal warnings, no authorization has been granted to move the food. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had assured Congress in May that the aid would be delivered. However, at the time of this statement, the order for its destruction had already been signed, according to The Atlantic.
An incineration costing $130,000
The cremation is expected to cost U.S. taxpayers around $130,000, according to a statement from Democratic Representative Rosa DeLauro, elected from Connecticut.