• 500 tons of emergency food aid will be destroyed following the closure of USAID.
• The food was intended for malnourished children in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• Lawmakers express outrage over wastefulness tied to government aid cuts.

The recent closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has resulted in the planned destruction of nearly 500 tons of emergency food aid, specifically high-energy biscuits meant for malnourished children in Afghanistan and Pakistan. These biscuits are set to be incinerated after passing their expiration date while stored in a warehouse in Dubai, according to a senior US official who linked this waste to the dismantling of USAID, which ceased operations on July 1, as part of a broader reshaping of US foreign aid under President Donald Trump. Michael Rigas, Deputy Secretary of State, expressed distress over the situation, mentioning, "I think that this was just a casualty of the shutdown of USAID,” highlighting the drastic consequences of the agency's closure, according to Al Jazeera and TRT Global.

The problem has attracted significant backlash from lawmakers who feel that the waste represents a failure of the government to act in a timely manner to distribute the food aid effectively. Senator Tim Kaine criticized the administration’s inaction, stating that the situation “really exposes the soul” of Trump’s policies, and argued, “A government that is put on notice — here are resources that will save 27,000 starving kids, can you please distribute them or give them to someone who can?” This sentiment was echoed by representatives who have expressed concerns that more than just the food has been lost due to the severe budget cuts impacting USAID operations, as documented in South China Morning Post.

The financial implications of this wastefulness are significant. While the US government had purchased the biscuits for approximately $800,000, the cost to destroy them will add an additional $130,000 burden on taxpayers. Rigas further mentioned that such losses highlight the broader fiscal cuts related to foreign assistance that have been imposed, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio cutting over 80 percent of US foreign aid funding. These actions are seen as part of a strategy to consolidate functions under the State Department, which has further destabilized aid programs, according to reports from Al Jazeera and TRT Global.

Additionally, various Democratic lawmakers have sparked concerns regarding the future of foreign aid under the current administration, with some expressing that the aid cuts reflect a retreat from international leadership that may empower countries like China to exert more influence globally. For instance, US Representative Gregory Meeks stated that the reductions put foreign assistance programs at risk of mismanagement and waste. Aid workers have emphasized that such cutbacks exacerbate existing humanitarian crises and hinder ongoing infrastructure projects, citing the abrupt termination of initiatives crucial to maintaining services for vulnerable populations, as detailed by South China Morning Post.