USAID Corruption.. $20 Million for Sesame Program in Iraq
USAID Corruption.. $20 Million for Sesame Program in Iraq
2-6-2025
Information/Translation..
A US senator has criticized the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for spending $20 million on an Iraqi version of Sesame Street, among other projects she described as “wasteful and dangerous spending” and corruption.
“Under the Biden administration, USAID has given $20 million to the nonprofit Sesame Workshop to produce ‘Ahlan Sesame Iraq,’ a show that aims to ‘promote inclusion, mutual respect, and understanding among ethnic, religious, and sectarian groups,’” the report
quoted Senator Joni Ernst as saying on the social media platform X. “USAID has played a pivotal role in supporting Iraq since 2003, contributing to formal and informal institutions, civil society organizations, banks, and the widespread provision of school supplies such as backpacks and notebooks before moving to activating civil society more broadly,” the report added. “USAID was the world’s largest single donor, with the United States spending $72 billion in fiscal year 2023 on areas such as women’s health, clean water, energy security, and anti-corruption,” according to US allegations.
“From diverting tax dollars to risky research in a Wuhan lab to sending Ukrainians to Paris Fashion Week, USAID is a “The International is one of the worst perpetrators of waste crimes in Washington and around the world,” according to the US senator.
He explained that “in Iraq, the agency entered into a partnership with the National Bank of Iraq in 2024 to provide $1.65 million in financing for small and medium-sized enterprises, launched a project to support more than 18,000 Iraqis, and supported 25 commercial projects in the Iraqi capital through the “Baghdad Makers” initiative, according to the report.
Previous reports had revealed that the program includes holding workshops to create creative content for youth in a number of Iraqi governorates to enhance technical skills, which were held in cooperation with Iraqi youth, sports directorates, and government institutions, according to US allegations.
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