BCG Earned More Than $1mn For Gaza Aid Barge Project

July 14, 2025: The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is under fire after revelations that it was paid over $1 million for its role in a Qatar-funded humanitarian project aiming to deliver aid to Gaza via a maritime corridor. The project, coordinated by Fogbow — a private US-based group led by military veterans — sought to bypass Israel-blocked land routes and transport food and supplies from Cyprus directly into the besieged territory.

The operation, initiated in early 2024 and supported by the Geneva-based Maritime Humanitarian Aid Foundation (MHAF), marks a departure from the traditional UN-led humanitarian framework. Critics argue this move introduces commercial interests into a highly sensitive relief effort, potentially undermining key humanitarian principles.

BCG’s involvement began as pro bono support but shifted to paid consulting, billing MHAF — a Fogbow-affiliated foundation — over $1 million between March 2024 and February 2025. While the firm claims it followed internal oversight and compliance procedures, it now finds itself at the center of a reputational storm, largely due to its parallel and controversial association with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a separate entity supported by the U.S. and Israel but widely condemned by the UN.

Earlier this year, BCG terminated its $4 million GHF contract after internal controversy over unauthorized modeling of postwar Gaza and the relocation of Palestinian populations. Two senior executives, including BCG’s chief risk officer, were stripped of leadership roles, and two U.S. partners were fired.

Fogbow’s original plan to establish a maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza, backed by some Israeli and Gulf authorities, was overtaken in May 2024 by the U.S. military’s construction of a floating pier. That effort was short-lived, with the pier collapsing multiple times due to rough seas.

Despite setbacks, Fogbow and MHAF claim their initiatives delivered over 10 million meals to Gaza and have since expanded operations to Sudan and South Sudan. However, BCG’s decision to withdraw from GHF drew sharp criticism from the foundation, which accused the consulting giant of “corporate cowardice” and caving to international pressure.

As humanitarian access in Gaza remains contentious, BCG’s dual involvement with competing private and government-backed aid models raises tough questions about the ethics and future of commercial participation in crisis response.