This quarterly report submitted by the Lead Inspector General (Lead IG) report to Congress on Operation Enduring Sentinel (OES). This report discharges our quarterly reporting responsibilities pursuant to Section 419 of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended. In October 2021, the Department of Defense (DoD) initiated OES as the U.S. mission to conduct over-the-horizon counterterrorism operations against threats emanating from Afghanistan and to engage with Central Asian and South Asian regional partners to combat terrorism and promote regional stability.
On January 20, President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order for an immediate 90-day pause on U.S. foreign assistance pending a review of all programs. As a result, nearly all State and USAID foreign assistance programs in Afghanistan came to a halt, as did third party monitoring of these programs. Some programs, particularly those that provide life-saving humanitarian assistance, continued briefly under a waiver. However, in early April, State terminated all but two programs in Afghanistan, one of which supported education for women and girls. Those two programs were extended through June. Not all State and USAID offices provided information about the status of individual programs. On March 10, Secretary Rubio announced that State was canceling 5,200 USAID awards—83 percent of USAID programs worldwide.
As of the end of the quarter, 19 development awards funded through USAID Afghanistan had been terminated. State reported that as of April 11, it had terminated 23 programs in Afghanistan with a total value of $87,378,516. . At the end of the quarter, USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) said that they could not provide details on which awards remained active or were terminated, pending conclusion of the foreign assistance review.
Food and agricultural commodities funded by USAID Afghanistan and valued at $7.2 million were at risk of being looted or spoiling or missing the upcoming planting season. The commodities were intended to support 48,000 vulnerable households in the eight most food insecure provinces. Following State’s foreign assistance review, all but two active USAID Afghanistan education awards, one of which directly supported education for women and girls, were canceled. As of January 1, USAID BHA had 16 active programs in Afghanistan totaling $765 million. As of March 21, USAID BHA had obligated $29 million in FY 2025 funding for Afghanistan-related assistance. USAID BHA did not provide information that USAID OIG requested on which awards remained active or were terminated, pending final report of the foreign assistance review.
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