A Syrian national, Mahmoud Al Hafyan, has been charged with diverting over $9 million in U.S.-funded humanitarian aid intended for Syrian civilians to terrorist organizations, including the Al-Nusrah Front (ANF) affiliated with al Qaeda. The 53-year-old was indicted on 12 counts for allegedly defrauding the U.S. government and providing aid to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Al Hafyan, posing as the head of a non-governmental organization (NGO), had access to U.S.-funded humanitarian aid and managed 160 NGO employees at a station in Syria. The NGO he led received $122 million between January 2015 and November 2018 to provide food and medical supplies in the war-torn country.
