US suspends aid to Somalia following allegations of illegal seizure of WFP food aid

The United States has suspended all aid to the Somali government, alleging that officials destroyed a United Nations World Food Program (WFP) warehouse and seized “donor-funded food aid.”

“The Trump administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft and misappropriation of vital assistance,” said a statement from the US Department of State on.

The message, posted on the account of the undersecretary for foreign assistance, said information had been received that officials had illegally seized 76 tons of food intended for “vulnerable Somalis.”

Any resumption of aid would depend on the Somali government “taking responsibility for its unacceptable actions and taking appropriate corrective action”, he added.

Although the United States withdrew from several United Nations organizations under President Donald Trump, it remains by far the largest contributor to the WFPpaying $2 billion in 2025, almost a third of its total funding.

Somalia’s government, which has long battled Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militants as it tries to rebuild the country after a devastating civil war and years of drought, has yet to comment.

This is the latest example of the deterioration of relations between Washington and Mogadishu.

In November, US President Donald Trump lashed out at Somali migrants living in the United States, telling reporters that they should “go back to where they came from” and that “their country is not good for a reason.”

Communities targeted in immigration raids as government alleges large-scale benefits fraud in Minnesotathe American state that is home to the largest Somali community in the United States.

The recent recognition by Israel, an ally of the United States, of the breakaway republic of Somaliland, which Somalia considers part of its territory, has further angered Mogadishu.

The aid reportedly seized by Somali authorities was intended to help people cope with the effects of “drought, floods, conflict, high food prices and diminishing harvests”, according to the WFP.

He cites figures that 4.6 million people in Somalia face critical levels of hunger.