Pakistan, Afghanistan: US to burn expired biscuits meant for malnourished kids

WASHINGTON: A senior US official on Wednesday acknowledged that President Donald Trump’s closure of the US aid agency bore blame for the waste of nearly 500 tons of emergency food intended for hungry children.

Officials said the United States plans to incinerate the high-energy biscuits, intended as emergency food for malnourished young children in Afghanistan and Pakistan, after they passed their July expiration date in a warehouse in Dubai.

Under questioning by lawmakers, Michael Rigas, the deputy secretary of state in charge of management, tied the decision to the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development, which closed its doors on July 1.

“I think that this was just a casualty of the shutdown of USAID,” Rigas said, adding that he was “distressed” that the food went to waste.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has slashed more than 80 percent of US foreign assistance, saying it does not meet core American interests, and put remaining USAID functions under the State Department.