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US Incinerates 500 Tonnes of Emergency Food After USAID Merger

Lawmakers decry policy-driven waste after 500 tonnes of energy biscuits expired under a post-USAID merger, a disposal the State Department characterizes as standard procedure.

Overview

  • US officials confirmed that about 500 tonnes of high-energy biscuits bound for malnourished children in Afghanistan and Pakistan expired in a Dubai warehouse in July and were incinerated.
  • State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said destroying expired food aid is routine and rejected allegations of government negligence.
  • At a Senate Foreign Relations hearing, Michael Rigas attributed the losses to USAID’s July 1 merger into the State Department and pledged a full review.
  • Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Tim Kaine criticized the incident as evidence of chaotic budget cuts and demanded transparency before further international aid reductions.
  • Aid experts warn that dismantling USAID’s six-decade operations and slashing foreign assistance budgets could undermine US leadership in global health and food security.