The administration of US President Donald Trump has ordered the destruction of nearly 500 tons of emergency food aid that could have been provided to children abroad, reports The Atlantic magazine.
The products in question are high-calorie cookies purchased by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and intended for children in emergency situations, particularly in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As indicated in the publication, the expiration date of these products expired on July 15. At the same time, according to estimates by sources of The Atlantic, the products to be destroyed could provide weekly support for approximately 1.5 million children.
Despite repeated internal requests from officials to allow the transfer of humanitarian supplies, a decision on the transportation was never made, The Atlantic notes. After the dissolution of USAID, all foreign policy initiatives, including food supplies, came under the jurisdiction of the US State Department and under the control of new leaders.
As The Atlantic emphasizes, in May, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly promised that the food would be delivered to those in need before the expiration date. It is noted that by this time the order for destruction had already been signed, as evidenced by a document obtained by the magazine. The publication states that destroying the cookies will cost American taxpayers an additional $130,000 in addition to the $800,000 spent on their purchase. According to sources for The Atlantic, other food products already purchased by the government are also at risk of being destroyed.
Even if the administration decides to resume aid deliveries, agencies may no longer have the personnel and technical capacity to distribute it. Despite official statements of commitment to food programs, many of The Atlantic’s sources expressed doubt that systemic changes will occur in the near future.