By Navya Beri
The Donald Trump administration's recent freeze on all foreign aid included a surprising cut, of $50 million in US funding for condoms in Gaza.
A White House official revealed that a memo from the Office of Management and Budget is set to temporarily suspend grants, loans, and federal assistance programmes while they undergo review, according to a Fox News report.
The official, while speaking to the media outlet, said, "If the activity is not in conflict with the President's priorities, it will continue with no issues. This is similar to how HHS (Department of Health and Human Services) stopped the flow of grant money to the World Health Organisation after President Trump announced the US withdrawal from the organisation. Or how the State Department halted several million dollars going to condoms in Gaza this past weekend."
Elon Musk reacts
Expressing doubts over the funding of condoms in Gaza by the previous government, Elon Musk, leader of the US Department of Government Efficiency, suggested that it might have ended up in the wrong hands, possibly with Hamas.
Musk took to his platform X and called the move the “tip of the iceberg”.
“My guess is that a lot of that money ended up in the pockets of Hamas, not actually condoms.”
"Yes, even in the unlikely event that the money was actually spent on condoms, we should NOT be sending US taxpayer money to buy condoms for foreigners," he said in another post.
One of the users claimed the condoms were being used to transport improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and incendiary materials, potentially harming Israeli citizens.
To this, Musk replied, saying, “Explains why all the condom orders were magnum."
US Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calls it 'preposterous waste of money'
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, in her first briefing, deemed the move a “preposterous waste of taxpayer money," stating that "there was about to be $50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza".
“That's what this pause is focused on—being good stewards of tax dollars,” she added.
The move to pause all foreign aid came as an effect of US President Donald Trump's executive order, "Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid", which he signed after taking charge of the White House on January 20.
"No new funds shall be obligated for new awards or extensions of existing awards until each proposed new award or extension has been reviewed and approved," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an internal memo.
Meanwhile as reported by Anadolu, a review of the latest publicly available data from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on condom shipments, covering 2023, reveals no such shipments to Gaza.
In fact, the only shipment to the Middle East that year was a $45,680 delivery to Jordan, which was noted as the first condom shipment to the region since 2019.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) found "that there was about to be 50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza," Leavitt told reporters during her inaugural press conference. "That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money."
But she did not provide any evidence to support the claim. Anadolu reached out to the White House for clarification but did not immediately receive a response.
USAID’s 2023 report shows that the US delivered over $60 million in contraceptives and condoms globally, with 89% of funds directed to Africa, 9% Asia and 2% to Latin America.
The Trump administration has frozen nearly all foreign assistance programs for at least 90 days, sending shockwaves across the world as countries grapple with an abrupt halt to a range of programs funded by Washington, from development to humanitarian assistance. The US is the largest source of international assistance.
The order, however, includes exceptions for Israel and Egypt, which annually receive $3.3 billion and $1.3 billion in foreign military financing, respectively.
(With inputs from agencies)