Under the Lead Inspector General framework, the Inspectors General for the Department of Defense, Department of State, and the U.S. Agency for International Development conduct oversight of and report on the overseas contingency operation "Operation Enduring Sentinel." This report also discusses the planned, ongoing, and completed oversight work conducted by the Lead IG agencies and our partner oversight agencies during the quarter.
During the reporting period, water, sanitation, and hygiene needs significantly increased due to continuing droughts. The number of Afghans in need of humanitarian assistance increased form 24.4 million in 2022 to a projected 28.3 million in 2023. Protection needs increased over the previous year by 25 percent due to the Taliban’s new policies, particularly policies that relate to women’s participation in society.
The Taliban’s ban on Afghan women working for NGOs resulted in significantly reduced access to humanitarian assistance, while the need for aid increased across the country, especially among women and girls. Approximately 200 NGOs operating in Afghanistan suspended or reduced their operations including several USAID Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) implementers. The World Health Organization noted that approximately 2 million people will have no or limited access to essential life-saving health services and that 280 health facilities fully suspended operations and a further 42 partially suspended operations across 29 provinces, due to the ban.