State Department says 59,000 tons of food assistance are in motion after reports of incinerated aid

FIRST ON FOX The State Department says it is working swiftly to distribute tens of thousands of tons of food aid around the globe pushing back on reports that the U S was preparing to incinerate hundreds of tons of stockpiled supplies before they could be delivered According to figures shared with Fox News Digital the agency at the moment has metric tons of in-kind food commodities stored in warehouses across the United States and abroad We have already programmed all the food expiring before October a senior State Department official revealed The idea that we have tons of expiring food we are letting go to waste is totally false The State Department says it has approved metric tons of food to be transferred or reprogrammed through partnerships with the World Food Activity WFP Catholic Relief Services Mercy Corps and Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture CNFA That includes tons of short-dated food supplies already programmed for delivery to problem zones like Syria Bangladesh and Sudan RUBIO OFFICIALLY KILLS USAID REVEALS FUTURE HOME FOR FOREIGN ASSISTANCE PROGRAMSAn additional tons of aid is awaiting final reprogramming a delay the department attributes to a temporary hold by the Office of Management and Budget OMB on Title II apportionments an issue functionaries say has now been resolved To the extent there is a delay that is causing operational problems it is not from the State Department the official explained All of the food expiring in the next months is accounted for The official also dismissed latest media coverage arguing that the focus on a limited amount of food near expiration distorts the larger picture The very small portion less than of USAID s food stockpiles addressed by the mainstream media was the exception that distracts from a very extensive and orderly process we directed to ensure that all of the food was accounted for in an efficient and strategic manner The citizens defense comes after several outlets communicated that the Trump administration ordered the incineration of roughly metric tons of urgency food stored in Dubai as it neared expiration According to Reuters while tons were successfully redirected to countries including Syria Bangladesh and Myanmar another tons valued at were destroyed with an additional in disposal costs The case occurred as part of a broader restructuring of U S foreign aid procedures In early July the Trump administration officially dissolved USAID transferring authority over progress and humanitarian programs to the State Department That shift has been accompanied by efforts to rescind billions of dollars in foreign assistance A temporary aid pause in January prompted the former State Department inspector general to warn that as much as million worth of food aid was at liability of expiring However the department says assistance is now back online under a restructured model STATE DEPARTMENT REVEALS PLAN TO DELIVER 'LIFE-SAVING' MEALS TO M STARVING CHILDRENWith USAID phased out the State Department is now responsible for managing large-scale aid programs and it is under pressure to deliver Lawmakers and aid groups are closely watching to see whether the newly reprogrammed food aid reaches intended recipients Democrats seized on the incineration reports during congressional hearings this week accusing the Trump administration of turning its back on urgent humanitarian necessities The reports were first published by The Atlantic Earlier this month Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlined the administration s vision for foreign assistance saying he was abandoning what he called a charity-based model in favor of empowering advancement and self-reliance in progressing nations We will favor those nations that have demonstrated both the ability and willingness to help themselves Rubio wrote and will target our guidance to areas where they can have a multiplier effect and catalyze durable private sector including American companies and global capital The new approach is designed to emphasize exchange and expenditure over direct aid and to position the U S to better counter China s growing global influence