State Department suspends all U.S. aid to Somalia, citing ‘zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance’
The State Department said Wednesday that it has suspended all U.S. assistance to Somalia’s federal government following allegations that Somali officials destroyed an American-funded World Food Program warehouse and seized 76 metric tons of food aid intended for impoverished civilians.
“The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance,” the department said in a statement.
“The State Department has paused all ongoing U.S. assistance programs which benefit the Somali Federal Government,” it added. Officials said any resumption of aid would depend on Somalia taking accountability for what the U.S. described as “unacceptable actions” and implementing appropriate remedial steps.
The suspension comes as the Trump administration has intensified criticism of Somali refugees and migrants in the United States. That includes heightened attention to fraud allegations involving child care centers in Minnesota, as well as new restrictions affecting Somalis seeking entry to the U.S. and challenges for those already living in the country.
It remains unclear how much assistance will be affected by the pause. The Trump administration has significantly reduced foreign aid spending, dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, and has not released updated country-by-country funding figures.
During the final year of President Joe Biden’s administration, the United States provided approximately $770 million in assistance for projects in Somalia, though only a small portion of that funding went directly to the Somali government.
A senior State Department official said Wednesday that the department is conducting a review to determine which programs directly or indirectly benefit Somalia’s federal government and to decide whether those programs should be paused, redirected, or terminated.
The official described Somalia as “a black hole of poorly overseen U.S. assistance,” arguing that the administration is moving to shut down programs considered vulnerable to fraud and diversion.
According to the official, the aid suspension was ordered after authorities at the Mogadishu Port demolished the WFP warehouse at the direction of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud without prior notification or coordination with donor countries, including the United States. The official spoke on condition of anonymity while discussing internal diplomatic reporting.
Somalia, located in the Horn of Africa, remains one of the world’s poorest nations and has faced decades of conflict, insecurity, and recurring natural disasters, including severe droughts. International humanitarian organizations have long relied on donor support to deliver food and essential assistance to vulnerable civilians across the country.
