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 Inherent Resolve" (OIR). The mission of OIR is to advise, assist, and enable partner forces until they can independently defeat ISIS in designated areas of Iraq and Syria, in order to set conditions for long-term security cooperation frameworks. The broader counter-ISIS campaign includes supporting the Iraqi government and local Syrian partners with civilian-led stabilization activities. 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.
The Lead IG agencies issued 7 oversight reports related to OIR. The U.S. Government, primarily through State and USAID, remains the largest donor for stabilization and humanitarian programming in Iraq and Syria. A USAID OIG audit found that USAID faced challenges with data reliability, partner inexperience, and staff capacity in its New Partnerships Initiative, which included programming in Iraq. USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) reported that it continued to provide monthly food assistance and daily bread, mental health and psychosocial support, nutrition, and access to clean water and sanitation facilities to the residents of al-Hol.
In Iraq, USAID funded 11 awards related to stabilization activities during the quarter. The total amount of the awards was approximately $622 million. USAID is the largest contributor to the 29-donor multilateral Funding Facility for Stabilization, with a $457 million award for July 2015 to December 2025. USAID’s recently launched a governance activity (Ma’an) to support local governments to improve public service delivery and become more responsive to citizen demands. During the quarter, USAID continued its support to the Iraqi government to finalize and adopt its environmental strategies.
In Syria, USAID funded 56 active awards, worth approximately $132 million, related to stabilization activities in Syria during the quarter. USAID also reported that its supplemental funding last year directly supported agriculture projects this quarter through the Syria Recovery Trust Fund. USAID reported supporting agriculture during the quarter through its Essential Services, Good Governance, and Economic Recovery program by strengthening the poultry value chain in Hasakah province, including the establishment of a table egg production farm, fertilized egg production farm, and pasta factory. Both State and USAID continued to support the safe, voluntary return and reintegration of Syrians from the al-Hol displacement camp. USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives supports host communities in areas of origin and/or alternative areas of return to increase community acceptance of returnees and support their reintegration.
Report in Brief: Operation Inherent Resolve Lead Inspector General Quarterly Report In-Brief to Congress, January 1, 2024—March 31, 2024