Trump administration is once again making headlines for the wrong reasons. Nearly 500 metric tons of emergency food, which is reportedly valued at $800,000,000, is about to be destroyed as USAID ceases to exist. The emergency food could have fed 1.5 million children for a week in war torn and disaster hit regions.
Notably, the incineration process will incur an additional cost of $130,000, as per The Atlantic. The Trump administration gave a green light to the obliteration of the food supplies that remains untouched since the USAID was shut down.
Donald Trump, along with Elon Musk, accused USAID of “wasteful spending and fraud” and eventually ordered a a near-total freeze on all foreign aid under the federal department and laid off most of the employees. The agency’s official website and social media handles were also shut down.
The food items were procured by USAID towards the end of Joe Biden’s term with the intention of feeding malnourished children in Africa and the Middle East.
“Within weeks, two of those sources told me, the food, meant for children in Afghanistan and Pakistan, will be ash,” a source told The Atlantic. The food supplies include $800,000 worth of the high-energy biscuits that were supposed to meet the nutritional needs of children under 5 in places where they are displaced due to disasters or wars and the families couldn’t set up a kitchen to feed them proper meals. As per the portal, these biscuits were stored at a warehouse in Dubai and were supposed to be distributed this year.
However, when Trump came into power, he halted the American foreign assistance. The items could no longer be moved and remained untouched for months. They are now nearing the expiry date, and would eventually be set on fire.
A month after the Secretary of State promised to move stalled USAID programs appropriated by Congress, food for starving children is still rotting and taxpayer dollars are being wasted. pic.twitter.com/ccCjLYeYEu
— Rosa DeLauro (@rosadelauro) July 16, 2025
Democratic Representative Adam Smith slammed Trump administration in a tweet which reads: “The Trump administration is destroying 500 metric tons of emergency food-and making U.S. taxpayers foot the bill. In the coming weeks, high-energy biscuits, enough to feed 1.5 million children, will be torched at a cost of $130,000. This comes after $800,000 in taxpayer funds were already spent to purchase the food. This is the very definition of waste and government abuse. We must restore critical foreign aid programs that save lives, rather than let vulnerable children starve while we burn the food that could have fed them.”
“Over the coming weeks, the food will be destroyed at a cost of $130,000 to American taxpayers (on top of the $800,000 used to purchase the biscuits)”
The Trump administration is destroying 500 metric tons of emergency food—and making U.S. taxpayers foot the bill. In the coming… https://t.co/yL5hkaq2Cv
— Rep. Adam Smith (@RepAdamSmith) July 15, 2025
Trump administration is facing backlash as huge money was already spent on food for the underprivileged. It was ready to be distributed to the needy children. Critics see his decision as ‘wasteful’ and ‘heartless’.
An X user wrote, “What’s wrong with this administration where they are determined to starve people, let people die of disease and under the hands of ruthless criminals? Christian nation? Anyone who supports this administration is definitely not a Christian!! Counterfeits heading to hell! Sad!”
What’s wrong with this administration where they are determined to starve people, let people die of disease and under the hands of ruthless criminals? Christian nation? Anyone who supports this administration is definitely not a Christian!! Counterfeits heading to hell! Sad!
— Sandy Man (@SandyMan1620525) July 16, 2025
As per a projection by WFP, about 58 million people globally could face starvation or extreme hunger this year due to lack of money to feed them. Earlier, a study revealed that 14 million people could die due to termination of USAID programs. Experts argue that the funding cuts will reverse decades of progress in reducing child and adult mortality in under-developed countries.
“Gutting USAID is a travesty, and it’s a tragedy. Because it’s some of the most important work happening anywhere in the world,” former president Barack Obama said.
