Food rations worth over $98 million, enough to feed 3.5 million people for a month, risk expiring in warehouses across Djibouti, South Africa, Dubai, and Houston due to US aid cuts, Reuters reported Friday.

The 66,000 tons of supplies, including high-energy biscuits, vegetable oil, and fortified grains, remain stranded after the Trump administration dismantled global aid operations in January.

An inventory reviewed by Reuters and confirmed by a US official shows the stock could feed Gaza’s entire population for more than a month. The UN World Food Programme estimates that one ton of food supports 1,660 people daily.

However, sources say some of the food, set to expire as early as July, is likely to be incinerated, converted to animal feed, or otherwise destroyed. The food was originally earmarked for crisis areas such as Gaza and Sudan, where hunger and famine conditions are escalating.

Global food insecurity 

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), 343 million people face acute food insecurity globally, with nearly 2 million experiencing catastrophic hunger, particularly in Gaza, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali.

Despite partial waivers for some humanitarian programs, the freezing of contracts and funds has immobilized food stocks, with a plan to transfer the supplies to aid agencies currently awaiting approval from the State Department's Office of Foreign Assistance, headed by Jeremy Lewin.

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According to Reuters, the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), which oversees USAID’s aid logistics, has been thrown into disarray. Following an initial round of layoffs on July 1, USAID plans to terminate most of its staff by September 2, including key personnel essential for managing warehouse operations.

Former USAID officials report that warehouse contracts in Durban have been canceled, while facilities in Djibouti and Dubai may be handed over to a yet-to-be-established State Department team.

A spokesperson for the State Department said it is "working to ensure the uninterrupted continuation of aid programs and their transfer by July," adding that discussions are ongoing to redistribute the at-risk food stocks before expiration.

Aid cuts disrupt global nutrition programs

Navyn Salem, founder of Edesia, a US-based manufacturer of the therapeutic food Plumpy’Nut, revealed that USAID’s termination of shipping contracts has forced the company to lease additional storage for 5,000 tons of backlogged product.

Valued at $13 million, this stockpile could feed nearly 500,000 children.

UNICEF has warned that shortages of therapeutic food across 17 countries may leave 2.4 million children without treatment this year. Meanwhile, nearly 500 tons of high-energy biscuits stored in Dubai are set to expire in July.

According to Reuters, these supplies alone could have treated at least 27,000 acutely malnourished children for a month. In previous years, only around 20 tons of food were discarded annually due to damage, making this current risk unprecedented.

Aid groups warn of rising child mortality amid supply shortages

Jeanette Bailey, nutrition director at the International Rescue Committee, warned that disruptions in therapeutic food supplies pose deadly risks, "If a child in an inpatient stabilization center can no longer access treatment, over 60% risk dying rapidly."

Action Against Hunger, which relies on US aid for more than 30% of its funding, reported that at least six children have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo due to forced program suspensions.

The World Food Programme, reliant on US contributions that make up 38% of global humanitarian aid, declined to comment on the stranded food stocks.