During a recent hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, U.S. Congressman Scott Perry accused the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) of misappropriating funds to support terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram, ISIS, and Al-Qaeda, under former President Barack Obama.
Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, claimed that $697 million annually, along with direct cash shipments, were funneled into hosting terrorist training camps and sponsoring extremist groups. “Your money—$697 million annually—plus shipments of cash go to ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and ISIS Khorasan. That’s what it’s funding,” Perry asserted.
He also criticized USAID for allocating $136 million to construct 120 schools in Pakistan, alleging that there was “zero evidence” of the schools’ existence. Additionally, Perry pointed out that programs like the Women’s Scholarship Endowment and Young Women Lead, which receive $60 million and $5 million annually, respectively, were not benefiting women in Afghanistan.
“If you think that the program under Operation Enduring Sentinel entitled Women’s Scholarship Endowment, which receives $60 million annually, or the Young Women Lead, which gets about $5 million annually, is going to women who, by the way, if you read the Inspector General’s report, is telling you that the Taliban does not allow women to speak in public, yet somehow you’re believing, and American people are supposed to believe, that this money is going for the betterment of the women in Afghanistan. It is not,” Perry stated.
Furthermore, Perry highlighted that USAID spent $840 million in the last year on Pakistan’s education-related program, including $136 million to build 120 schools, of which there is no evidence. “The Inspector General can’t get in to see them,” Perry remarked. “Somebody else got the money. You are paying for terrorism. This has got to end.”
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa, also accused external countries of funding terrorism in Nigeria and hindering the sale of necessary equipment to combat insecurity. Musa, in an interview with Aljazeera, cited “political decisions” for the ongoing challenges in the war against insecurity.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump recently fired USAID’s independent inspector general, Paul Martin, following a report criticizing the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the agency. The report warned that over $489 million in food assistance was at risk of spoilage or potential diversion after an order to freeze aid to foreign countries was implemented.
Trump has established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk, to combat waste and inefficiency. The unit’s focus has been on USAID, which manages a budget of $42.8 billion annually and distributes humanitarian aid in about 120 countries. Despite calls to close down the unit, DOGE remains committed to uncovering more issues within the organization.
