South Africa CPI Cools in February, Unlikely to Prompt Rate Cut
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
UNITED STATE OF AMERICA DEPARTMENT OF STATE OIG Monthly Update
In our issue highlighting work conducted in February 2026:
- Oversight Focus: Near East Affairs
- Recommendations Status
- Making a Difference
- Spotlight on Success
- Delivering Results
- Ukraine Completed Oversight Work
- New Work Started
- Report Recap
 |
Oversight Focus: Near East Affairs
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) continues to
focus on Department of State (Department)
programs and operations across the Middle East and
North Africa.
In February, OIG initiated an Audit of the
Department of State’s Efforts to Provide Food Assistance
to the West Bank and Gaza, examining the
effectiveness of and outcomes surrounding $768.4
million in related food assistance to Gaza and the
West Bank transferred in 2025 from the U.S. Agency
for International Development (USAID) to the
Department.
Other planned and ongoing projects
include OIG audits focused on foreign assistance to
Palestinians, administration of funding to the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees (UNRWA), financial sanctions implement-
tation, and mitigation of terrorist financing risks.
Following the October 7, 2023, terror attacks in
Israel, OIG prioritized inspections of overseas
missions in the region to assess executive direction,
policy and program implementation, resource
management, information management, and
security.
Classified and unclassified inspections
conducted in the last calendar year include U.S.
embassies and constituent posts in Tunisia, Algeria,
Qatar, Oman, Türkiye, and Egypt, in addition to the
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.
Making a Difference
On February 10, 2026, the Department issued a
notice announcing a new warrant and training
program for transportation officials involved in
shipping household effects and official freight.
Through this program, the Department will ensure
that personnel responsible for acquiring shipping
and storage services of personal effects have the
requisite qualifications and knowledge to execute
those acquisitions effectively and efficiently.
- The Department’s adoption of this program is a direct result from recommendations in the May 2025 Auditof the Department of State’s Administration of the Shipment and Storage of Personal Effects During Post
Assignment Travel (AUD-FM-25-22).
Spotlight on Success
Fraud Reporting Hotline and Quarterly “Fraudbuster”
Award Increased Fraud Prevention Effectiveness
(Inspection of Embassy San Salvador, El Salvador,
ISP-I-26-06)
The Consular Section’s Fraud Prevention Unit created
two initiatives that encouraged visa applicants to
report suspected fraud and increased fraud-
*OIG delivers monthly SBU/classified recommendation reports to
congressional committees of jurisdiction.
**Includes 49 recommendations associated with USIBWC.
***Includes 5 recommendations closed on OIG’s classified network.
RECOMMENDATIONS STATUS*
as of February 27, 2026
1,174**
Open
Recommendations
18***
Recommendations
Closed
Reports
Ongoing Work
View Recommendations
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
MONTHLY UPDATE February 2026
prevention awareness among Consular Section staff.
The Fraud Reporting Hotline program encouraged H-
2 visa applicants to contact the embassy by phone,
WhatsApp, or in person if they believed they were
victims of fraud.
To promote the program, the
- Consular Section hired a local advertising agency to produce a visa anti-fraud campaign. In the first 5months of 2025, more than 360 visa applicants reported paying over $180,000 to fraudulent visa consultants.
- The Consular Section then assisted fraud victims in filing charges with local authorities against the fraudulent consultants.
- In addition to theHotline program, the Fraud Prevention Unit gavequarterly “Fraudbuster” awards, which included a financial incentive, to a Consular Section staffmember for outstanding fraud-prevention or -detection efforts.
New Work Started
To see a list of all current OIG oversight projects,
please visit our Ongoing Work page.
The list below includes new work started in February 2026:
• Audit of Department of State FY 2026
Compliance With the Geospatial Data Act of
2018.
• Audit of the Department of State’s Efforts To
Provide Food Assistance to the West Bank and
Gaza.
• Audit of the Department of State’s Process for
Establishing Local Compensation Plans.
• Audit of the Department of State FY 2026
Information Security Program.
• Audit of the U.S. Agency for Global Media FY
2026 Information Security Program.
• Audit of the International Boundary and Water
Commission, United States and Mexico, U.S.
Section FY 2026 Information Security Program.
Delivering Results
State OIG fosters efficiency and effectiveness in U.S.
foreign affairs through meaningful, independent
oversight and investigations:
$1,369,626,614*
Questioned Costs and Funds Put to
Better Use
$234,571,262
Potential Monetary Benefits From
Current Open Recommendations
$123,716,509*
Investigative Monetary Results
* Identified by State OIG since FY 2021 (October 2020
to present)
Updated February 28, 2026. Statistics are based on
preliminary data. Official data are published in State
OIG Semiannual Reports to Congress.
Click here for more and here to view full lists of
completed, ongoing, and planned work related to
Ukraine.
1-800-409-9926
Stateoig.gov/HOTLINE
HELP FIGHT
FRAUD, WASTE, AND
ABUSE
If you fear reprisal, contact the
OIG Whistleblower Coordinator to
learn more about your rights.
WPEAOmbuds@stateoig.gov
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE 4
MONTHLY UPDATE REPORT RECAP September – November 2025
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.
Operation Atlantic Resolve, Including U.S. Government Activities Related to Ukraine, Special Inspector General Report to the United States Congress, July 1–September 30, 2025, and October 1,
2025–December 31, 2025
This eighth report submitted by the Special Inspector General for Operation Atlantic Resolve
summarizes U.S. government support to Ukraine and the broader response to Russia’s full-
scale invasion, including support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, support for North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO) partners, and U.S. military, diplomatic, and humanitarian activity.
This report covers two quarters due to the 2025 federal government shutdown.
Inspection of Embassy Vientiane, Laos (ISP-I-26-07)
The Ambassador and Deputy Chief of Mission generally adhered to Department leadership
principles and actively promoted U.S. foreign policy and national security.
- However, the Public Diplomacy Section’s grant monitoring and documentation and reporting on programming did not meet Department standards.
- Additionally, the embassy’s Consular Section had deficiencies related to fraud prevention, cashier operations, and crisis preparedness.
Moreover, Embassy Vientiane did not manage bulk fuel operations in accordance with
Department standards and did not comply with some property management and motor
vehicle safety standards.
Finally, the embassy’s Diplomatic Technology unit did not perform
required information systems security officer duties and did not manage non-enterprise
networks in accordance with Department standards. OIG made recommendations to address
policy and program implementation, resource management, and information management.
Inspection of Embassy San Salvador, El Salvador (ISP-I-26-06)
The Ambassador and acting Deputy Chief of Mission generally modeled the Department’s
leadership principles, particularly communication, accessibility, and valuing and developing
people.
- The Political and Economic Sections generally complied with Department standardsfor policy implementation and reporting.
- Nevertheless, the embassy’s drinking water reimbursement program did not comply with Department standards.
- Additionally, the embassy had deficiencies in its information management and information security operations, including the performance of information systems security officer duties.
- OIG made recommendations to address resource management and information management.
Inspection of Embassy, Kingston, Jamaica (ISP-I-26-04)
The Chargé d’Affaires and acting Deputy Chief of Mission generally modeled the Department’s
leadership principles, particularly communication, self-awareness, and valuing and developing
people.
However, Embassy Kingston’s consular crisis preparedness did not meet Department
standards. Specifically, the American Liaison Network had only one consular liaison volunteer.
- Additionally, the embassy’s safety, health, and environmental management program did not fully comply with Department standards.
- Finally, the embassy’s Diplomatic Technologyoperations had internal control issues with information security, emergency communication,contingency planning, and mobile device and telephone management.
- OIG maderecommendations to address policy and program implementation, resource management,and information management
Headline clippings. . .| Bloomberg
Live
Watch: Ali Larijani, Key Wartime Leader in Iran, Is Killed
Watch: Oaktree's Marks Weighs In on Big Tech Debt Sales
Your News
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
HELTER-SKELTER Headline Snatch | Bloomberg
Live Energy, Financial Markets Rattled by Iran Strikes Latest Updates 3 minutes ago More from the Netanyahu briefing. Israel acted...
-
Flash News: Ukraine Intercepts Russian Kh-59 Cruise Missile Using US VAMPIRE Air Defense System Mounted on Boat. Ukrainian forces have made ...
