The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently issued a stark warning: the federal government will not be distributing food assistance in November as the ongoing government shutdown drags on. “The well has run dry,” the notice states, highlighting the dire situation facing millions of Americans.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is federally funded but managed by individual states. Under the USDA’s shutdown contingency plan, the agency can dip into reserve funds to keep SNAP running if the government shutdown extends beyond a month. However, the Trump administration has indicated it will not utilize this option.

According to the USDA’s announcement, “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01. We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats.” This situation leaves over 40 million people, or roughly 1 in 8 Americans who rely on SNAP benefits to afford food, in a precarious position.