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.
State and USAID worked to support the return and reintegration of Iraqi and Syrian residents from al-Hol to their home communities. Repatriated Iraqis from the al-Hol camp face challenges with reintegration. In addition to delays in the security screening process, returning Iraqis faced barriers to reintegration in host communities due to their affiliation or perceived affiliation with ISIS. Several USAID activities supported the reintegration of Iraqis, including establishing a case management system; social-economic, mental health, and psychosocial support; and support to host communities, to increase acceptance of repatriated Iraqis.
Approximately 16.7 million Syrians are estimated to be in need of humanitarian assistance. The U.S. Government, primarily through State and USAID, remains the largest donor for stabilization and humanitarian programming in Iraq and Syria. USAID BHA has provided $3,569,780 for the Iraq response and $276,547,474 for Syria crisis response in FY2024. The United Nations estimates that nearly 13 million Syrians are estimated to be food insecure and 90 percent of Syrians live in extreme poverty. Total U.S. assistance from USAID BHA totaled $277 million in FY 2024 and health, food, and included water/sanitation/hygiene assistance. However, insecurity limited the ability of USAID’s third party monitors to access certain parts of Syria and monitor humanitarian assistance programming.