Trump administration reveals USAID's ‘ridiculous’ funding of overseas projects
Washington DC: The Trump administration revealed details of controversial projects funded by USAID, emphasising what it termed "ridiculous" allocations.
A month ago, President Trump signed an executive order to review US foreign aid and ensure it falls in line with his administration’s policy, which included a 90-day suspension of foreign assistance.
Among the revelations, USAID provided $500,000 to address sectarian violence in Israel, just 10 days before the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that killed over 1,200 people.
USAID granted $5 million to EcoHealth Alliance, a key player in funding bat virus research at the Wuhan lab.
Furthermore, it was revealed that $10 million worth of meals funded by USAID were sent to an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group.
LGBT funding abroad
The documents also showed significant USAID funding directed toward LGBT causes abroad, an area that President Trump aims to distance from US foreign policy.
USAID allocated $7.9 million to educate Sri Lankan journalists on avoiding "binary-gendered language," $2 million for sex change procedures and LGBT activism in Guatemala, and $1.1 million to support an Armenian LGBT group.
In Jamaica, $1.5 million was given for LGBT advocacy, while $2 million was earmarked to promote LGBT equality through entrepreneurship in Latin America.
USAID also funded $3.9 million for LGBT causes in the Western Balkans, $5.5 million for LGBT activism in Uganda, and $6 million for advancing LGBT issues globally.
Furthermore, $6.3 million was allocated to support men who have sex with men in South Africa.
Other USAID projects
Beyond LGBT-related initiatives, USAID invested in several other controversial projects.
These included $25 million for Deloitte to promote "green transportation" in Georgia, $6 million for transforming digital spaces to reflect feminist democratic principles, and $1.3 million for Arab and Jewish photographers.
The agency also allocated $8.3 million to the "USAID Education: Equity and Inclusion" program, and over $4.5 million was directed to combat disinformation in Kazakhstan.
Administration's response
The Trump administration expressed strong disapproval of what it described as wasteful spending, stating, "For decades, USAID bureaucrats believed they were accountable to no one - but that era is over. President Trump is STOPPING the waste, fraud, and abuse."
Tech billionaire Elon Musk also reacted to the revelations, calling the expenditures a "crazy waste" of taxpayers' money.
What is USAID?
USAID is the largest humanitarian and development arm of the US government, with a workforce of around 10,000 people worldwide and an annual budget in the billions.
The agency works closely with Congress and the White House to set priorities, while the State Department provides foreign policy guidance.
The United States is the world’s largest provider of official development assistance, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), with most of its support channelled through USAID.
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