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, indicated that reports were 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 said.
Despite withdrawing from several UN organisations under President Donald Trump, the US remains the largest contributor to the WFP, paying $2bn in 2025, almost a third of its total funding.
The Somali government, which has long battled al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militants as it works to rebuild the country after a devastating civil war and years of drought, has yet to comment.
This development is another indicator of the deteriorating relations between Washington and Mogadishu. In November, President Trump made derogatory remarks about Somali migrants in the US, suggesting they go back to where they came from.
Communities have been targeted in immigration raids in the US, as the government alleges large-scale benefit fraud in Minnesota, home to the largest Somali community in the country.
The recent recognition by US ally Israel of the breakaway republic of Somaliland, which Somalia considers part of its territory, has further fueled tensions.
The aid that was allegedly seized by Somali officials was meant to help those struggling with the effects of drought, floods, conflict, high food prices, and dwindling harvests. The WFP estimates that 4.6 million people in Somalia are facing crisis levels of hunger.
