The US has suspended all assistance to the government of Somalia, alleging that officials destroyed a UN World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and seized donor-funded food aid.
The Trump administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance, said a US state department statement on X.
The message, posted on the account of the under secretary for foreign assistance, stated reports had been received about officials illegally seizing 76 tonnes of food intended for vulnerable Somalis.
Any resumption of assistance would depend on the Somali government taking accountability for its unacceptable actions and taking appropriate remedial steps, it added.
Although the US has withdrawn from several UN organisations under President Donald Trump, it remains the largest contributor to the WFP, providing $2 billion in 2025—almost a third of its total funding.
The Somali government, which has been battling al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militants while attempting to rebuild the country after a devastating civil war and extended drought, has yet to comment.
This incident is the latest indication of the deteriorating relations between Washington and Mogadishu.
Last month, Trump criticized Somali migrants in the US, stating they should go back to where they came from and implying their homeland was undesirable.
Communities in the US have faced immigration raids amid allegations of significant benefit fraud involving the Somali population, particularly in Minnesota.
The recent recognition by Israel of Somaliland, a region that Somalia claims as part of its territory, has further inflamed tensions.
The seized aid was intended to support those affected by droughts, floods, conflict, rising food prices, and failing harvests, as stated by the WFP.
The organization indicated that approximately 4.6 million people in Somalia are currently facing crisis levels of hunger.
