US to Destroy 500 Tons of Food Aid Amid Global Hunger Crisis

US to Destroy 500 Tons of Food Aid Amid Global Hunger Crisis
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The United States is set to burn nearly 500 metric tons of emergency food aid, including high-energy fortified wheat biscuits intended for malnourished children in Pakistan and Afghanistan, The Siasat Daily reported . These commodities, stored in a USAID warehouse in Dubai, are nearing expiration and have already spoiled. The destroyed food, valued previously at around $800,000, will cost approximately $130,000 to incinerate.

This destruction is part of a larger issue involving 60,000 tons of food aid stuck in warehouses worldwide, including locations in Djibouti, South Africa, Dubai, and Houston. These stocks, worth over $98 million, remain unused following the dismantling of USAID earlier this year under the Trump administration, which froze aid funds and canceled logistics contracts.

The timing is critical, as the World Food Programme estimates 343 million people globally suffer from acute food insecurity. The discarded food alone could have fed more than one million people for three months or supplied Gaza’s entire population for six weeks.

Despite efforts by aid agencies and lawmakers to salvage some supplies—622 tons stored in Dubai were recently delivered to the World Food Programme—much of the remaining food is already spoiled and being discarded. UNICEF and Action Against Hunger warn that aid reductions are depriving millions, especially children, of essential nutrition and treatment.

A US State Department official stated attempts are ongoing to distribute food before expiration, but calls for greater transparency and urgent action continue from lawmakers and humanitarian organizations.