Statements from the United Nations or related international bodies

Syrian National Charged with Diverting $9 Million in U.S. Aid to Al-Qaida Affiliate; 380,000 Meal Kits Diverted

Nov 23, 2024, 02:19 PM

A Syrian national, Mahmoud Al Hafyan, has been charged with diverting $9 million in U.S.-funded humanitarian assistance to a terrorist organization affiliated with Al-Qaida. Al Hafyan, who ran the Syrian division of a nongovernmental organization, is accused of skimming as much as $10 million worth of meals paid for by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). These meals were intended for Syrian refugees but were instead diverted to members of the Al-Nusrah Front, an al-Qaida-linked terrorist group. Federal prosecutors revealed that American taxpayers funded hundreds of thousands of these meals. Al Hafyan allegedly cooked the books to hide the diversions, but two whistleblowers reported him. Authorities stated that 380,000 meal kits were diverted in this scheme, which they described as a shocking abuse of U.S. taxpayers' generosity. Sanjay Virmani, special agent in charge of counterterrorism at the FBI’s Washington field office, commented on the case, highlighting the dual impact of supporting violent terrorists and stealing from U.S. humanitarian efforts.