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 United States launched OIR in 2014 to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), while setting the conditions for follow-on activities to increase regional stability. The U.S. Government strategy to defeat ISIS includes military operations and support for local security forces, diplomacy, governance, humanitarian assistance, and stabilization programs.
Humanitarian assistance needs in Syria remained the same as last quarter, although the UN Security Council noted needs might increase in 2026 with the arrival in Syria of some 400,000 people fleeing Lebanon since early March. Approximately 15 million people in Syria required assistance, the United Nations reported in May, as crisis levels of hunger persisted across much of the country.
As of June 30, the U.S. Government was the largest donor of humanitarian assistance to Syria. Last quarter, the U.S. Government pledged $150 million to the Syria Humanitarian Fund, a fund managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to provide rapid, flexible financing to international and national NGOs and UN agencies in Syria to deliver lifesaving aid.