Description: The United States Aid Organization has come under scrutiny since Elon Musk’s DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) and a Middle Eastern think – tank have uncovered that up to $164 million were transferred directly or through proxies to terrorist organizations mostly linked to Hamas. The Bayader Association for Environment and Development, a charity which was closely connected to Hamas had received around $1 million, while other organizations that were linked with terrorist groups or radical groups such as the American Near East Refugee Agency, the Unlimited Friends Association and Islamic Relief Agency received undisclosed amounts of funds from USAID. The Agency is currently in its last days of existence since the Trump administration aims at shutting it down permanently.
Impact: USAID has effectively been used over the years with little to no oversight to extend US political interests in many countries. The findings regarding the financing of terrorism affiliated organizations indicate on unilateral way of governance over the organization which has apparently funded radical and terrorist groups. The disclosure of the information regarding the funding of terrorist and radical groups should lead to the closing down of the organization. USAID held a monopoly over plenty global charity and humanitarian organizations and it’s shutting down would create an economic vacuum which would most probably be used by China and Russia to extend their global interests in geopolitically sensitive areas.