On Tuesday, the White House justified a broad moratorium in US overseas assistance by mentioning a $50 million condom distribution program in the Gaza Strip, but provided no data to back up the assertion. According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the expense was uncovered during Trump’s first week, including by the new Department of Government Efficiency, which is managed by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Musk’s project 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 said at her first press conference. “That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money,” she told the audience. She did not provide any other information, and it was not immediately feasible to verify the account independently.
Condoms typically cost less than a dollar individually in the United States, and significantly less in volume. Gaza is home to just over two million Palestinians, nearly all of whom have suffered significant damage as a result of the 15-month conflict with Israel. Leavitt also claimed that the United States was preparing to send $37 million to the World Health Organisation before Trump declared his withdrawal from the UN body.
Shortly after taking office, Trump announced a 90-day halt on foreign assistance. He has promised a review to ensure that funding aligns with his administration’s values, which oppose abortion, LGBTQ rights, and diversity programs.
In a memo sent Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States was blocking practically all aid disbursements to Egypt and Israel, with the exception of emergency food and military supplies.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed alarm about the aid freeze imposed by the United States, which has long been the world’s greatest contributor of development assistance in absolute dollars.
