US suspends assistance to Somali government for alleged seizure of aid

by | Jan 7, 2026 | World

The Trump administration has accused Somali officials of destroying a World Food Programme warehouse that contained US-funded food aid.By News AgenciesPublished On 8 Jan 20268 Jan 2026Click here to share on social mediashare2ShareThe United States says that it has suspended all assistance to the government of Somalia, alleging that officials destroyed a World Food Programme warehouse filled with food aid it funded.In a social media post on Wednesday, the administration of US President Donald Trump alleged that Somali officials had seized 76 metric tonnes of donor-funded food aid that had been intended for Somalis in need.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list“The US is deeply concerned by reports that Federal Government of Somalia officials have destroyed a US-funded World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and illegally seized 76 metric tons of donor-funded food aid for vulnerable Somalis,” the post said.“The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance.”The announcement was made on the social media platform representing the US State Department’s Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs and Religious Freedom.Somali officials have not yet responded to the allegations of aid theft.Still, the stark measure continues a recent trend under the Trump administration. In recent months, President Trump has leaned into criticism of Somalis living in the United States and placed restrictions on Somalis seeking to enter the US.His administration has also stepped up air strikes targeting armed groups in Somalia itself.Notably, in a December cabinet meeting, Trump personally levelled racist attacks against the Somali community in the US, saying they are “destroying America”. He also attacked Ilhan Omar, a Democratic representative from Somalia who arrived in the US as a child refugee. Advertisement “We’re going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country,” Trump said at the December 2 meeting.“Ilhan Omar is garbage, just garbage. Her friends are garbage. These aren’t people that work. These aren’t people that say, ‘Let’s go, come on, let’s make this place great.’ These are people that do nothing but complain.”As part of his tirade, Trump cited a fraud scandal in the midwestern state of Minnesota, which has seen some members of …

Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source