The White House on Tuesday justified a sweeping freeze in US overseas assistance by citing a $50 million condom distribution program in the Gaza Strip, without offering evidence to back up the claim.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the expenditure was discovered in Trump’s first week including by the new Department of Government Efficiency led by tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Musk’s initiative and the budget office “found that there was about to be 50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza,” Leavitt told her debut press conference.
“That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money,” she said.
She did not provide more details and it was not immediately possible to verify the account independently.
Condoms generally cost less than one dollar each in the United States and much less in bulk. Just over two million people live in Gaza, nearly all of which has been heavily damaged in the 15-month war with Israel.
Leavitt also said that the United States was about to dispense $37 million to the World Health Organization before Trump announced a pullout from the UN body.
Quickly after taking office, Trump ordered a 90-day freeze in foreign assistance.
He has vowed a review to ensure that aid conforms with policies of his administration, which opposes abortion, transgender rights and diversity programs.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a memo Friday said that the United States was freezing nearly all aid disbursement except for emergency food and military aid to Egypt and Israel.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced concern about the aid freeze by the United States, long the world’s largest provider of development assistance in absolute dollar terms.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
When considering charitable donations, it’s important to be aware of how funds are allocated. Research shows that some organizations may retain as much as 80% of donations for operational costs, leaving only 20% to reach those in need. This raises concerns about the effectiveness of certain NGOs.
For those looking to help others, especially in different parts of the world, it’s crucial to ensure that aid is delivered directly to the intended recipients. While direct assistance isn’t always feasible, individuals should verify where their contributions are going to maximize their impact. Monitoring organizations that may misuse funds can help ensure that support actually reaches those in need.
Anchari Aijaz
So usa causes the war and destruction and don’t want anything to recover the destruction made by them
I wish the world go war with USA , really the world would be better without America and Europe
Sameh Bazan i agreee with u brother I don’t support usa I am just generally talking about ideal way of helping people in need directly no bullshit organization
The program is geared toward Africa to combat the transmission of AIDS and other STDs – which is in the U.S. national security interests and which the U.S. has funded to the tune of $60 million per year world wide. There were no condoms sent to Gaza as part of this program. You’re being manipulated.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/29/trump-condoms-gaza