Dismantling of USAID Means Little Oversight for Billions in Aid: Watchdog

The Epoch Times Header

Personnel moves have raised concerns about oversight, according to the inspector general

The federal government’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has largely left the agency unable to oversee billions in unspent aid, according to a Feb. 10 watchdog report.

The federal government has paused most USAID programs, except for life-saving assistance, and placed many employees on leave after President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending foreign aid while a review is conducted.

Oversight operations for $8.2 billion in unspent aid are “now largely nonoperational given these recent directives and personnel actions,” the USAID Office of Inspector General said in the report.

While a federal judge has issued an order pausing the directive to place many USAID workers on leave, that order “does not obviate, at this time, concerns regarding the capacity of BHA staff to work with implementing partners to protect and distribute humanitarian assistance commodities and conduct vital oversight of taxpayer-funded programs,” the inspector general added.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The report examined operations at the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance, or BHA, a USAID office responsible for providing humanitarian assistance such as nutrition to countries around the world. BHA, before recent terminations, had nearly 1,100 staff members, about half of whom were based in Washington.

When USAID notified its workforce on Feb. 4 about impending paid leave, BHA staff began losing access to USAID computer systems. Hundreds of BHA staffers were placed on leave, while hundreds of contractors were furloughed, temporarily reducing the BHA workforce by about 90 percent.

The waivers from the State Department for life-saving aid should let the $8.2 billion in undistributed assistance flow but the personnel moves have raised concerns about oversight, according to the inspector general.

BHA typically vets aid recipients to make sure U.S. funds don’t benefit terrorists and their supporters, but USAID staff told the watchdog that the vetting unit has recently been told not to report to work and cannot conduct partner vetting. “This gap leaves USAID susceptible to inadvertently funding entities or salaries of individuals associated with U.S.-designated terrorist organizations,” the report stated.

By Zachary Stieber

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Columns

Lefty Activist Judges are Obstructing Trump’s Presidency

Activist judge’s ruling to block President Donald Trump from being able to execute his Constitutional Article 2 Powers pose a real “Constitutional crisis”.

France’s Next Quarterly Nuclear Drills Might Become Prestige-Building Exercises With Poland

Europe wonders what form Macron’s plans to extend his nuclear umbrella over the continent could take, considering risks entailed after Moscow’s negative reaction.

RFK Jr. Nukes HHS ‘Research’ Grants Designed to Stamp Out ‘Vaccine Hesitancy’

RFK Jr. must be waiting to get data firmly on his side before yanking COVID shots off the market and delivering pharmaceutical criminals to the DOJ.

An Actual Deep State Coup is Exposed in a CIA Email

Journalist John Solomon of “Just the News” on Real America’s Voice dropped a BOMBSHELL news report that appears to be old news revisited.

The new economics of compassionatlism

The aftermath of the Covid 19 pandemic has seen a global turn to stagflation, in which the cost of good and services increases regardless of economic growth.

News

FBI Director Responds to ‘Alarming Rise’ in Recent Swatting Incidents

FBI Dir. Kash Patel said federal law enforcement bureau is investigating “swatting” incidents that have targeted certain media figures in recent days.

Trump Admin Asks Supreme Court to Unblock Birthright Citizenship Order

Trump admin asked Supreme Court to roll back multiple preliminary injunctions courts have issued against his EO to restrict birthright citizenship.

NIH Wants to Cap Funding for Indirect Research Costs—What Are They?

NIH is the world’s largest funder of medical research, granting billions to colleges and universities yearly. Trump admin seeks to cap paid overhead costs.

Border Apprehensions of Illegal Immigrants Hit Lowest in History, CBP Says

Number of illegal immigrants apprehended by authorities declined 94% year-over-year under Trump, according to latest figures released by CBP.

98 Protesters Arrested After Occupying Trump Tower to Demand Release of Pro-Palestinian Activist

Police arrested protesters occupying lobby of Trump Tower in NYC, staging demonstration supporting Palestine and against arrest of Mahmoud Khalil.

Judge Rules Against Trump in Labor Case With Implications for DOGE

U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan ordered President Donald Trump...

After Deadly Crashes, Long-Overdue Aviation Updates Accelerate

The Trump administration is moving to bolster air travel...

RFK Jr. Warns Against Vaccinating Chickens for Bird Flu

HHS Sec. RFK, Jr. advised against providing vaccines to poultry amid a bird flu outbreak, as leaky vaccines can turn flocks into mutation factories.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central