USAID Suspends New Contracts to Nonprofit for ‘Serious Misconduct’
A government contractor that has received more than $2.5 billion for humanitarian and infrastructure work in Iraq and Afghanistan has been suspended from receiving federal funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) due to “serious misconduct.” The USAID announced the suspension on Monday, less than a week after awarding a $10.5 million contract to International Relief and Development (IRD), a nonprofit based in Arlington, Virginia, for infrastructure and sanitation projects in Afghanistan. “Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) suspended the contractor International Relief and Development (IRD) from receiving U.S. Government awards,” the statement read. “The Agency’s review revealed serious misconduct in IRD’s performance, management, internal controls and present responsibility.” “USAID has a zero tolerance policy for mismanagement of American taxpayer funds and will take every measure at our disposal to recover these fund