USAID Shutdown Leads to Destruction of 500 Tons Food Aid in Dubai

Following President Donald Trump's closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in January 2025, nearly 500 tonnes of high-energy emergency food biscuits intended to feed tens of thousands of malnourished children, particularly in Afghanistan and Pakistan, expired in a Dubai warehouse and will be incinerated at an additional cost to the U.S. government. While 622 tonnes of similar biscuits were salvaged and redirected to countries like Syria, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, the remainder, valued at approximately $793,000, could not be distributed due to the shutdown, leaving over 60,000 tonnes of food aid stranded globally. Deputy Secretary of State Michael Rigas expressed distress over the waste, acknowledging it as a direct casualty of USAID's shutdown, which President Trump justified by emphasizing a shift away from charity-based aid toward sustainable development and encouraging other nations to increase their financial contributions. The destruction of these emergency rations, which could have fed an estimated 27,000 starving children, highlights severe operational disruptions and bureaucratic friction within U.S. foreign aid programs, exacerbating global hunger amid ongoing crises in regions such as Gaza and Sudan where millions face famine. Critics, including Senator Tim Kaine, have condemned the administration for the waste and the broader humanitarian impact, cautioning that the end of USAID will leave millions more vulnerable and disrupt vital health programs like polio vaccinations. The episode underscores the perilous consequences of abrupt policy shifts on global food security and the management of emergency relief resources.