ISTANBUL

Following an executive order by US President Donald Trump aimed at the suspension of foreign aid, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said food products worth $489 million are at risk of spoiling.

“Recent widespread staffing reductions across the agency … coupled with uncertainty about the scope of foreign assistance waivers and permissible communications with implementers, has degraded USAID’s ability to distribute and safeguard taxpayer-funded humanitarian assistance,” a Monday report by USAID's Office of Inspector General said.

According to USAID staff, this uncertainty has put more than $489 million of food assistance at ports, in transit, and in warehouses at risk of spoilage.

The staffers also identified over 500,000 additional metric tons of food currently at sea or ready to be shipped.

"The food is sourced from American farmers pursuant to Title II Food for Peace (the longest standing permanent program for international in-kind food aid, administered by USAID) and Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funding. Because this funding source was not included under the Secretary’s emergency food assistance waiver, these commodities were held in limbo, subjecting them to spoilage, unanticipated storage needs, and potential diversion," the report said.

USAID has historically provided funding to a range of non-governmental organizations to support its mission of promoting global development and humanitarian assistance.​​​​​​​

However, following suggestions from Elon Musk, who heads Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Trump administration initiated the shutdown of USAID operations both domestically and internationally, leading to widespread disruptions in global aid programs and affecting numerous NGOs and media organizations that relied on USAID funding.