Washington (Somalia Today) — The United States has paused “all ongoing U.S. assistance programs which benefit the Somali Federal Government,” citing allegations that Somali federal officials destroyed a U.S.-funded World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and seized donor-funded food aid intended for vulnerable families.
A State Department statement said that Washington was “deeply concerned” by reports that officials “destroyed a US-funded World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and illegally seized 76 metric tons of donor-funded food aid for vulnerable Somalis.”
It added that the Trump administration has “zero tolerance” for “waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance.”
The statement emphasized that any resumption of aid would depend on the Federal Government of Somalia “taking accountability for its unacceptable actions and taking appropriate remedial steps.”
Somalia Today could not independently verify the alleged warehouse destruction or the seizure claim. Neither Somali government officials nor the WFP were immediately available for comment.
Oversight concerns
The reported pause adds to long-running donor concerns regarding oversight and diversion in Somalia, one of the world’s most aid-dependent countries and a key front in the fight against the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab insurgency.
Washington has previously suspended select support to Somali security forces over similar accountability issues.
In 2017, the United States halted food and fuel support to most Somali military units after the army repeatedly failed to account for supplies. By 2019, the United States announced it would resume limited assistance to a single Somali unit following reforms and an inspection.
Separately, major donors have periodically tightened controls on humanitarian operations. In 2023, the European Union temporarily suspended funding for WFP operations in Somalia after a U.N. investigation found widespread theft and misuse of aid meant to avert famine.
Despite these challenges, the United States remains a central backer of Somalia’s humanitarian response and stabilization efforts.
A State Department fact sheet has previously described Somalia as a major recipient of U.S. assistance, while the U.S. government’s ForeignAssistance.gov portal publishes program-level funding data.
Humanitarian strain
The allegations surface as Somalia faces renewed pressure from drought, conflict, and shrinking global aid budgets.
The U.N. food agency has warned that it is being forced to reduce rations and coverage in Somalia due to funding gaps. The WFP stated it would cut emergency food assistance from 1.1 million people reached in August to just 350,000 beginning the following month.
International aid groups have also warned that abrupt policy shifts and funding freezes can increase operational risks for relief pipelines, including storage costs, spoilage, and diversion.
A USAID Office of Inspector General report previously found that uncertainty during a U.S. foreign aid pause placed large volumes of food commodities “at risk of spoilage, unanticipated storage needs, and diversion.”
The State Department did not specify which assistance streams were paused, or whether humanitarian programs delivered through the United Nations and non-governmental partners would be exempt.
It stated only that Washington had paused programs “which benefit the Somali Federal Government,” and that any resumption would require “accountability” and “remedial steps.”
If the pause extends beyond a narrow set of government-linked programs, it could complicate Somalia’s efforts to sustain security operations, stabilization initiatives, and governance reforms—areas that donors often condition on transparency and controls.
However, even if limited to direct government support, the move carries significant reputational and operational implications for Mogadishu, particularly at a time when relief agencies say resources are tightening while needs continue to grow.
