Two days ago, the Atlantic reported that 500 metric tons of high-energy biscuits purchased by the USAID in 2024 for distribution in Afghanistan and Pakistan–enough to feed 1.5 million hungry children for a week–will be burnt to a crisp in the next two weeks. Why? The biscuits, which have been stored in a Dubai warehouse, have expired and are no longer fit for either human or animal consumption.

US taxpayers spent $800,000 to purchase the food and will now spend another $130,000 to destroy it. Meanwhile, according to the report, USAID inventory lists from January show more than 60,000 metric tons of food already purchased by the U.S. government are sitting in warehouses across the world including 36,000 pounds of peas, oil, and cereal. It is unclear when (or if) the food will be ever be distributed.

Why weren’t the biscuits distributed prior to their expiration? Blame this administration’s closure of USAID, firing of most of its staff and shift of decision-making to the State Department to “eliminate waste, fraud and abuse.” Not only does this expose the ineptitude of the current administration, it reveals its disregard for human suffering and its moral bankruptcy.

What a waste.