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66,000 Tonnes of U.S. Food Aid at Risk of Expiry Due to Aid Cuts

U.S. aid program reductions have stranded critical food supplies in warehouses, with efforts underway to distribute them before July expiration dates.

Food aid is stored at Edesia Nutrition warehouse in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, U.S., May 15, 2025. REUTERS/Lauren Owens Lambert
Food aid ispackaged into boxes to be delivered all over the world at the Edesia Nutrition facility in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, U.S., May 15, 2025. REUTERS/Lauren Owens Lambert
A person touches a display as food aid is made and packaged into boxes to be delivered all over the world at the Edesia Nutrition facility in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, U.S., May 15, 2025. REUTERS/Lauren Owens Lambert
Workers pack food aid into boxes to be delivered all over the world at the Edesia Nutrition facility in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, U.S., May 15, 2025. REUTERS/Lauren Owens Lambert

Overview

  • Over 66,000 tonnes of U.S. humanitarian food aid, valued at $98 million, remain stuck in four global warehouses due to halted contracts and frozen funds.
  • The supplies, including high-energy biscuits, vegetable oil, and fortified grains, were intended to feed 3.5 million people for a month but now face imminent expiration starting in July.
  • USAID, undergoing decommissioning and staff layoffs, is collaborating with the State Department to transfer aid programs and distribute the food stocks before they spoil.
  • Manufacturers like Edesia are facing backlogs, with 5,000 tonnes of therapeutic foods worth $13 million stranded due to terminated transport contracts.
  • The disruption highlights the broader impact of U.S. policy shifts on global hunger relief, as 343 million people worldwide face acute food insecurity.