The Trump administration put a freeze on federal funding including $50 million originally earmarked for condom distribution in Gaza, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
During her first press briefing, Leavitt claimed that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) had identified the purported expenditure, calling it “a ridiculous misuse of taxpayer funds.” She did not, however, provide supporting evidence. While a review of USAID’s 2023 data by Anadolu Agency found no evidence of such shipments.
According to USAID’s 2023 report, the US delivered over $60 million in contraceptives globally, with 89 per cent allocated to Africa, nine per cent to Asia, and two per cent to Latin America. No funds were linked to Gaza.
The Trump administration’s decision to freeze nearly all foreign aid for 90 days has sparked global concerns, as nations face an abrupt halt to development and humanitarian programmes funded by Washington. The freeze includes exceptions for Israel and Egypt, which receive $3.3 billion and $1.3 billion annually in foreign military financing.
It was announced today that the Trump Administration stopped the shipment of $50M in condoms to Gaza.
The retail online cost of a single condom is $2. A $50M shipment means the Biden Administration had approved delivery of at least 25 million condoms (assuming that the Biden…
— David M Friedman (@DavidM_Friedman) January 29, 2025
The alleged funding freeze for the contraceptives comes as Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a damning report yesterday revealing the catastrophic impact of Israel’s military offensive on pregnant women and newborns in Gaza, documenting severe shortages in medical care, alarming increases in miscarriages and devastating conditions for childbirth.
The 50-page report, titled “Five Babies in One Incubator: Violations of Pregnant Women’s Rights Amid Israel’s Assault on Gaza”, exposes how Israel’s blockade and attacks on healthcare facilities have created life-threatening conditions for women during pregnancy and delivery.
“Since the start of the hostilities in Gaza, women and girls are going through pregnancy lacking basic health care, sanitation, water, and food,” said Belkis Wille, associate crisis, conflict and arms director at Human Rights Watch. “They and their newborns are at constant risk of preventable death.”
The situation has led to a dramatic rise in pregnancy complications. According to maternal health experts cited in the report, miscarriage rates have increased by 300 per cent since 7 October 2023. A UN Women survey found that 68 per cent of pregnant women experienced medical complications, with 92 per cent reporting urinary tract infections and 76 per cent suffering from anaemia.
The dire circumstances have forced hospitals to discharge women within hours of giving birth, adding strain on their already weakened bodies.
READ: Israel’s Netanyahu to visit Washington amid Gaza ceasefire, Trump says