The US Department of Agriculture has terminated 17 school meal initiatives under the McGovern-Dole Food for Education program, slashing support for thousands of children in low-income countries. The move follows last week's cancellation of 27 other foreign aid projects under the Food for Progress program, bringing the total number of aid terminations to 44.

In an email to congressional staff, the USDA said the projects were “not in alignment with the foreign assistance objectives of the Trump Administration.” The cuts affect countries such as Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, and Nepal. A USDA spokesperson confirmed that the cancellations followed a January 20 executive order to align aid with US interests.

Twelve of the canceled McGovern-Dole projects were administered by Catholic Relief Services (CRS). Haydee Diaz, CRS’s representative in Honduras, said the organization’s program served 97,000 children in more than 1,700 rural schools where malnutrition and stunting remain widespread.

'We'll see more desperation'

Using US-sourced corn, rice, beans, and fortified soy, the meals were prepared by over 10,000 volunteers. Diaz warned that the aid had a stabilizing effect in areas vulnerable to migration. “What we’ll see is more desperation, and more migration,” she said.

According to sources familiar with the matter, grantees were told to dispose of commodities within 30 days. Options include giving the food away or destroying it.

Despite the cuts, the USDA said it was still overseeing 14 Food for Progress projects across 17 countries and 30 McGovern-Dole projects in 22 countries. A new funding notice for next year’s McGovern-Dole grants has already been published, with a notice for Food for Progress expected soon.

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In 2023, McGovern-Dole fed 2.5 million food-insecure children and delivered more than 37,000 metric tonnes of US commodities abroad, totaling $248 million in awards.

3.5 million people left in need

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.

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.