Trump halts $50m Gaza aid, cites ‘condoms in Gaza’ claim

In a sweeping move to reassess U.S. foreign aid spending, President Donald Trump has frozen a $50 million assistance package that was reportedly earmarked for condom distribution in Gaza, though no independent verification of the claim has been provided.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt justified the decision on Tuesday, stating that the expenditure was flagged during Trump’s first week back in office, particularly by the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, led by tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Leavitt, in her debut press briefing, stated:

“The budget office and Musk’s initiative found that there was about to be 50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza. That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money.”

She did not offer additional details, and the claim remains unverified.

The Trump administration has implemented a 90-day freeze on foreign aid, vowing to review all assistance programs to align with its policies, which strongly oppose abortion rights, transgender initiatives, and diversity programs.

Read also: Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso finalize exit from ECOWAS

In a Friday memo, Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified that while most aid disbursements would be suspended, the U.S. would continue providing emergency food relief and military assistance to Egypt and Israel.

Additionally, Leavitt revealed that $37 million in funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) was halted before Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations health agency.

The decision has sparked concern from international leaders, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres warning of the consequences of cutting U.S. development assistance. The United States has historically been the largest single provider of foreign aid in absolute dollar terms.

With Gaza’s population exceeding two million people and the region still reeling from a 15-month-long war with Israel, the suspension of U.S. aid—especially for humanitarian efforts—raises serious questions about the future of relief operations in the area.

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