This report describes the activities of the U.S. Government in support of OES and discusses the planned, ongoing, and completed oversight work conducted by the Lead IG agencies—the DoW, State, and USAID OIGs—and our partner oversight agencies. This report covers the quarterly reporting period April 1 through June 30, 2026. This report submitted by the Lead Inspector General for Operation Enduring Sentinel (OES) summarizes the events that took place in Afghanistan from July to December, including the status of terrorist organizations, such as ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), al-Qaeda, and Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), as well as U.S. diplomatic and humanitarian efforts related to Afghanistan.
The United States has not provided development or humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan since April 4, 2025. This freeze followed a White House directive that instructed U.S. Government agencies to suspend any assistance that could potentially benefit or reach the Taliban. State reported that it revised the Afghanistan-related programming budget to comply with the directive. Under the revised framework, the United States continues to fund two ongoing education programs for Afghan nationals residing both inside and outside Afghanistan.
During the quarter, the university that hosts students via the Supporting Students Success in Afghanistan program continued to operate despite significant funding uncertainty. In April, the university notified Congress and State that it was planning an orderly shutdown starting May 1, 2026, due to lack of funds. However, in May, State averted the immediate closure of the university by authorizing a onetime $3 million obligation. This funding is still $4.72 million short of the cooperative agreement’s ceiling (“not to exceed”) amount, around which the university had planned its 2026 program. Consequently, the university will proceed with a truncated fall semester using reduced staff.
During the quarter, humanitarian agencies reported that Afghans continued to face food insecurity, high levels of malnutrition, internal displacement, and limited access to health care. Afghanistan-Pakistan hostilities and instability linked to the conflict in Iran have constrained humanitarian operations and increased pressure on vulnerable populations.