1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

The United States government should refrain from incinerating nearly 500 metric tons of emergency food rations intended for children in Afghanistan and Pakistan. These high-energy biscuits, purchased at a cost of $800,000, could feed an estimated 1.5 million children for a week. Despite repeated requests from federal workers to distribute the food before it expires, the new political leadership at USAID and the State Department have failed to respond or approve the shipments. Allowing this nutritious food to go to waste would be a unconscionable dereliction of our nation's humanitarian principles and squandering of taxpayer resources. At a time when conflict and instability have left 58 million people globally at risk of extreme hunger, we have a moral obligation to ensure this food reaches those in dire need, particularly defenseless children. Furthermore, providing this emergency aid would serve as a powerful display of American generosity and concern for human welfare - bolstering our nation's soft power influence around the world. If the alternative is to needlessly destroy perfectly viable food supplies, it is imperative that we leverage our resources to combat malnutrition and alleviate suffering wherever possible. I urge you to intervene and direct the relevant officials to immediately facilitate the distribution of these emergency rations to the World Food Programme and other aid organizations operating in food-insecure regions. This straightforward action would uphold American values, make prudent use of existing resources, and provide critical sustenance to vulnerable populations. The consequences of inaction are both ethically indefensible and damaging to our international standing.