US State Department watchdog to review Gaza food aid and global health programs

The US State Department's independent watchdog said on Thursday it was expanding its oversight to include new foreign assistance programs the agency has taken over from the US Agency for International Development (Usaid) after it was dismantled by the Trump administration.

The Office of Inspector General for the State Department will now conduct audits into how the agency is managing the many global health-related programs it has taken over from Usaid, as well as look into the department's efforts to provide food aid in Gaza and how the military funding for Ukraine is managed.

Washington has frozen and then cut back billions of dollars of foreign aid, saying it wants to ensure US taxpayer money goes only to programs that are aligned with Trump's "America First" policies.

The cutbacks have effectively shut down Usaid, leading to the firing of thousands of its employees and contractors. That jeopardised the delivery of life-saving food and medical aid and has thrown global humanitarian relief operations into chaos.