US Suspends Assistance to Somalia Over Food Aid Claims

US Suspends Assistance to Somalia

The United States has suspended all assistance to the government of Somalia, accusing officials of destroying a United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and seizing "donor-funded food aid." In a statement from the US State Department, it was noted: "The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of lifesaving assistance." The message was posted on the account of the Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, stating that reports had been received of officials illegally confiscating 76 tons of food intended for "vulnerable Somalis."

The resumption of aid will depend on the Somali government taking responsibility for its unacceptable actions and implementing appropriate corrective measures. Although the US has withdrawn from several UN organizations during Donald Trump's presidency, it remains the largest contributor to the WFP, paying $2 billion in 2025—almost one-third of the total funding. The Somali government, facing Islamist fighters linked to Al-Qaeda, is attempting to rebuild the country after a devastating civil war and years of drought, yet it has not commented on the matter.

This is the latest evidence of deteriorating relations between Washington and Mogadishu. In November, US President Donald Trump criticized Somali migrants living in the US, stating they should "go back to where they came from." Communities have been targeted in immigration raids, with the government accusing massive benefit fraud in Minnesota, the state with the largest Somali community in the US. The recent recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland by US ally Israel—considered part of Somali territory—has further incited anger in Mogadishu.

The food aid that was confiscated by Somali officials was intended to help the population cope with the effects of "drought, flooding, conflict, high food prices, and declining harvests," according to the WFP. Estimates indicate that 4.6 million people in Somalia are facing levels of chronic hunger.