The United States has paused all ongoing assistance to Somalia’s federal government following reports that senior Somali officials were involved in the theft and seizure of donor-funded food aid meant for vulnerable citizens.
In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, the US Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs and Religious Freedom said Washington was acting under its “zero-tolerance policy” for waste, fraud and abuse.
According to the post, US authorities received reports that Somali officials had destroyed a US-funded World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and illegally seized 76 metric tons of food aid intended for vulnerable Somalis.
The official added that any future US assistance would be conditional on the Somali Federal Government taking full accountability and addressing the matter decisively.
Somalia, located in the Horn of Africa, has long been classified by the United Nations as one of the world’s least developed countries and remains heavily dependent on international aid after decades of conflict and instability.
Somali government officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the aid suspension.
The development comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Somalis both at home and abroad. In recent weeks, the US government has intensified criticism of Somali communities in the United States, carrying out immigration raids in Minnesota and alleging large-scale public benefit fraud within the state’s Somali population, estimated at about 80,000 people — the largest in the country.
In November, US President Donald Trump also ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali immigrants, accusing them of gang violence and declaring that they should be sent “back to where they came from.”
The aid pause also reflects a wider diplomatic rift involving Somalia, the United States and Israel. Last month, Israel announced it was officially recognizing Somaliland — a self-declared republic that broke away from Somalia in 1991 — becoming the first country to do so.
Somaliland’s strategic location along the Gulf of Aden, close to Israel’s adversaries in Yemen, has made it geopolitically significant. However, Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, which has battled the Somali government for nearly two decades, has vowed to resist any Israeli attempt to use Somaliland as a military base.
While Israel’s move was backed by the United States, it drew sharp criticism from Egypt, Turkey, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The European Union also reiterated that Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity should be respected.
Despite operating its own currency, passports and armed forces, Somaliland has struggled for decades to gain broad international recognition.
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