US Suspends Somalia Government Aid Over Seized Food, What to Know
The US has suspended all assistance to Somalia’s government after accusing officials of destroying a WFP warehouse and seizing 76 tonnes of donor-funded food aid for vulnerable people.
The United States has suspended all assistance to the Somali government, accusing officials of destroying a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and seizing donor-funded food aid.
In a statement posted on social media on Wednesday, the administration of President Donald Trump said Somali federal officials had unlawfully taken 76 metric tonnes of US-funded food assistance meant for vulnerable people.
“The US is deeply concerned by reports that Federal Government of Somalia officials have destroyed a US-funded World Food Programme warehouse and illegally seized 76 metric tons of donor-funded food aid,” the statement said, adding that the administration has a “zero-tolerance policy” for the theft or diversion of humanitarian aid.
The statement was issued via the account of the US State Department’s Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs, and Religious Freedom.
Somali authorities have not publicly responded.
The move comes amid a broader hardening of US policy under Trump, including stepped-up criticism of Somalis in the US, tighter immigration measures, increased air strikes in Somalia, and expanded immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
Since returning to office in 2025, the Trump administration has sharply reduced humanitarian assistance worldwide. Under former President Joe Biden, the US provided about $770 million in aid to Somalia.
The State Department said aid could resume if the Somali government acknowledges responsibility for the alleged actions.
