The United States is set to destroy nearly 500 tons of publicly funded emergency food originally intended to fight hunger in crisis-affected regions around the world. The shipment consists of high-energy, nutrient-rich biscuits designed to provide quick sustenance in extreme situations. The products have been sitting in storage for months in a warehouse in Dubai.
Now, with their expiration date looming this month, the biscuits must be incinerated—at an additional cost of $100,000 to U.S. taxpayers.
The information was confirmed by a former official from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity. According to the source, the destruction could have been avoided if USAID had not been dismantled under the Trump administration. The Atlantic was the first to report on the issue.
Before the agency’s restructuring, USAID staff kept meticulous track of expiration dates and would coordinate with other offices or recipient countries to reallocate aid nearing its use-by date, often donating it.
“These biscuits could have been sent to places like Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is dire,” the former official said. “They don’t replace full meals, but two servings a day can mean the difference between life and death.” In a crisis like Gaza, where there is no potable water, fuel, or means to cook, he added, the biscuits would have made perfect sense.
However, the official claimed that the humanitarian response to Gaza has been “demobilized,” with key logistics and planning staff dismissed. “It’s heartbreaking to see such perfectly suited emergency food aid go to waste,” he added.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department confirmed that the emergency food would be destroyed because it couldn’t be distributed in time. The expired batch was procured under the previous administration as a contingency to cover unforeseen demand but was never exhausted before its expiration.
“The risk of spoilage is inherent to maintaining readiness for vital humanitarian needs in remote areas around the world,” the spokesperson explained, adding that similar instances have occurred under past administrations.
In a statement, USAID emphasized that the biscuits are specifically intended for populations on the move—those displaced by natural disasters or fleeing conflict. “We currently have high-energy biscuits stored in warehouses around the world for those in greatest need,” the spokesperson said. “We always strive to avoid destroying food and work diligently to find alternative uses whenever possible.”
