The US has suspended all assistance to the government of Somalia, alleging that officials destroyed a UN World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and seized 'donor-funded food aid'.
'The Trump administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance,' said a US State Department statement on X.
The message, posted by the under secretary for foreign assistance, indicated that reports had been received about officials illegally seizing 76 tonnes of food intended for vulnerable Somalis.
Any resumption of assistance would depend on the Somali government 'taking accountability for its unacceptable actions and taking appropriate remedial steps,' it said.
Although the US has withdrawn from several UN organizations under President Trump, it remains by far the largest contributor to the WFP, having paid $2 billion in 2025—nearly a third of its total funding.
The Somali government, engaged in a lengthy struggle against al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militants while attempting to rebuild the nation from a devastating civil war and prolonged drought, has not yet commented on the suspension.
This latest development highlights the deteriorating relationship between Washington and Mogadishu. Notably, President Trump has previously made derogatory remarks regarding Somali migrants in the US, suggesting they should 'go back to where they came from.'
Ongoing immigration raids targeting Somali communities in the US, especially concerning allegations of benefit fraud in Minnesota—home to the largest Somali population in the country—exacerbate these tensions.
The recent recognition of Somaliland by US ally Israel as an independent state has further amplified grievances in Mogadishu.
The aid that was allegedly seized by Somali government officials had been designated to assist populations grappling with the impacts of drought, floods, conflict, inflated food prices, and diminishing harvests, according to the WFP. Currently, approximately 4.6 million people in Somalia are confronting crisis-level hunger.
