The United States has suspended all direct assistance to the Somali government after reports that officials destroyed a US-funded World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and illegally seized 76 metric tons of food aid meant for vulnerable people.
In a statement on Wednesday, the US State Department cited a “zero-tolerance policy” for the theft of aid and said that any resumption of assistance would depend on the Somali government taking accountability for the incident.
Somali officials have not yet publicly responded to the allegations or the aid suspension.
This decision comes amid a broader cooling of relations, which includes the Trump administration’s recent actions targeting Somali immigrants in the US and a growing diplomatic rift over US support for Israel’s recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland.
