Nearly 500 tonnes of high-energy biscuits, originally intended to feed 27,000 severely malnourished children in Afghanistan and Pakistan, are now set to be destroyed. These emergency food supplies, designed for rapid deployment in crisis zones, expired this month while stored in a warehouse in Dubai. The situation has drawn scrutiny and concern from humanitarian advocates and lawmakers alike, especially as global hunger levels continue to rise.

The expired food aid was a direct consequence of the recent shutdown of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), according to Michael Rigas, the deputy secretary of state for management. Speaking before lawmakers, Rigas acknowledged that the warehouse stock was a "casualty of the shutdown of USAID," which officially ceased operations on July 1. The closure was part of a broader shift in U.S. foreign aid policy under President Donald Trump, aimed at reducing what he described as a disproportionate financial burden on the U.S. and encouraging other countries to contribute more.

The biscuits, fortified with nutrients and designed for immediate consumption in emergency conditions, were part of a larger stockpile of food aid affected by the agency’s closure. While aid officials managed to redirect 622 tonnes of the product to Syria, Bangladesh, and Myanmar in June, 496 tonnes expired before they could be distributed. According to internal USAID memos reviewed by Reuters, the expired food is valued at $793,000 and will now be incinerated or sent to landfills in the United Arab Emirates. The disposal process is expected to cost an additional $100,000.

I found this detail striking: the food was designed specifically for scenarios where cooking facilities are unavailable, making it uniquely suited for crisis zones. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) describes these biscuits as crucial for delivering immediate nutrition to both children and adults in dire situations. That such a resource would go to waste due to logistical and administrative delays underscores the challenges of managing large-scale humanitarian operations during institutional transitions.

Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat, expressed frustration over the loss. He noted that lawmakers had raised concerns about the food aid with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as early as March. Rubio reportedly assured them in May that no food would be wasted. “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?” Kaine asked. “Who decides, no, we would rather keep the warehouse locked, let the food expire, and then burn it?”

The closure of USAID has had far-reaching implications. Reuters previously reported that more than 60,000 tonnes of food aid were left stranded in warehouses across the globe following the agency’s shutdown announcement in January. The Trump administration had signaled its intention to move away from a charity-based aid model, opting instead to integrate foreign assistance into the State Department with a focus on sustainable development and economic self-sufficiency for recipient countries.

Despite these policy shifts, the U.S. remains the world’s largest donor of humanitarian aid. Government data shows that the country disbursed $61 billion in foreign assistance last year, with over half of that managed through USAID. According to the United Nations, the U.S. contributes approximately 38 percent of all recorded humanitarian aid globally.

Still, the timing and execution of the agency’s closure have raised questions. Rigas stated that he was “distressed” by the loss of the food aid and promised to investigate the details further. “I do want to find out what happened here and get to the ground truth,” he told lawmakers.

The broader context makes the loss even more troubling. The WFP estimates that 319 million people currently face limited access to food worldwide. Of those, nearly two million are experiencing catastrophic hunger, particularly in conflict-affected regions like Gaza and Sudan. In such an environment, the destruction of food aid that could have supported thousands of children is an outcome that many find difficult to reconcile.

The biscuits’ expiration and subsequent disposal may serve as a cautionary tale about the risks inherent in major organizational transitions, especially when they involve life-saving resources. While the U.S. continues to play a leading role in global humanitarian efforts, the incident highlights the importance of maintaining operational continuity and accountability, even amid policy changes.

As the international community grapples with escalating food insecurity, ensuring that aid reaches those in need without delay or waste remains a pressing challenge. The lost opportunity to nourish 27,000 children serves as a poignant reminder of what is at stake when systems fail to act in time.

Read more at aljazeera.com