MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – The United States government has suspended all U.S. assistance programs to the Federal Government of Somalia, citing allegations that federal government officials destroyed a warehouse belonging to the World Food Programme (WFP), which is funded by the United States, and seized humanitarian food aid intended for vulnerable families.
In a statement issued by the U.S. Department of State, Washington said it has “serious concerns” over reports indicating that officials “damaged a WFP warehouse and unlawfully took 76 metric tons of food assistance that had been donated for vulnerable Somalis.”
The statement added that the Trump administration “will not tolerate” what it described as the “misuse, theft, or diversion of life-saving humanitarian assistance.”
It further stated that the resumption of aid will depend on the Federal Government of Somalia “taking responsibility for these unacceptable actions and implementing appropriate corrective measures to address the situation.”
The announced suspension adds to longstanding concerns among donors about oversight and diversion of aid in Somalia, a country that is among the world’s most aid-dependent nations and also a key front in the fight against the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab.
