The U.S. State Department has announced that Washington will provide $93 million in food aid to Sudan, 11 other African nations, and Haiti.
The assistance aims to treat nearly one million children suffering from malnutrition in South Sudan, Mali, Niger, Ethiopia, Sudan, Nigeria, Madagascar, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Kenya, Chad, and Haiti.
This development follows the Trump administration’s decision to scale back all roles of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) abroad as part of a sweeping restructuring.
The sharp reduction in funding—USAID’s budget exceeded $35 billion in 2024—has raised concerns about negative impacts on food security and development in Africa. Many African nations had relied heavily on USAID for development assistance, which is no longer available in its previous form.
UNICEF will use the $93 million to transport and distribute ready-to-use therapeutic foods designed for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
According to the State Department, the food parcels will be sourced from U.S. producers, with the entire “pre-positioned stock” held by the U.S. government to be distributed under the initiative. The aid will also be used to produce additional ready-to-use therapeutic foods.
In July, President Donald Trump informed African countries of his intention to shift his foreign aid approach “from aid to trade.”
