Nearly 500 metric tons of U.S.-funded emergency food—meant to combat global hunger—will be destroyed due to expiration, sparking outrage over wasted resources and mismanagement. 🌍💔
Why the Waste?
The nutrient-packed biscuits, stored in Dubai warehouses, were purchased as a "contingency" during the Biden administration but never distributed, per a State Department email obtained by Reuters. A former USAID official called it "the definition of waste," noting similar issues didn’t occur before Trump-era agency restructuring.
A Costly Consequence
Destroying the biscuits will cost taxpayers an extra $100,000, with plans to incinerate or landfill them in the UAE. The UN World Food Program stressed these biscuits are vital in crises where cooking isn’t possible—"immediate nutrition for a child or adult." 🚨
What Could Have Been Done?
Before USAID’s dismantling, staff tracked expiration dates and redistributed surplus food. Now, critics argue systemic failures led to this avoidable loss. 💸
