Thu Jan 30 14:59:12 IST 2025: ## Trump’s Claim of $50 Million Gaza Condom Funding Freeze Debunked
**Washington D.C.** – White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s claim that President Donald Trump blocked a $50 million foreign aid program for condoms in Gaza has been widely refuted by fact-checkers and experts. Leavitt, during her first official briefing, asserted the decision prevented wasteful spending. However, she provided no evidence to support her assertion.
The White House failed to provide proof when asked, directing inquiries to State Department statements which did not corroborate the claim. A recent federal report shows USAID allocated no funds for condoms in the Middle East in fiscal years 2021-2023. The only contraceptive funding in the region was a small allocation of injectables and pills to Jordan, totaling roughly $46,000. This figure drastically undercuts the $50 million claim, especially considering USAID’s global condom budget for 2023 was approximately $8.2 million, largely for African nations.
A former senior Biden administration official called the claim a fabrication and a lie. Experts familiar with US aid in Gaza, including representatives from Anera, a non-profit involved in US-funded health initiatives in Gaza, have found no record of such a program.
This controversy follows the White House’s reversal of a broader freeze on federal funding, a decision that sparked confusion and legal challenges. While the White House initially defended the freeze as an effort to curb wasteful spending, the unsubstantiated claim regarding Gaza condom funding has drawn significant criticism.
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