The State Department has paused all its foreign aid programs benefiting the Somali government in response to reports of the destruction of a World Food Programme warehouse allegedly by Somali officials.
“The State Department has paused all ongoing U.S. assistance programs which benefit the Somali Federal Government,” the State Department statement said. “Any resumption of assistance will be dependent upon the Somali Federal Government taking accountability for its unacceptable actions and taking appropriate remedial steps.”
Jeremy Lewin, the State Department’s undersecretary for foreign assistance, humanitarian affairs, and religious freedom, made the announcement on Wednesday. Lewin wrote on X that the United States 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 WFP warehouse in Mogadishu port has been demolished by port authorities. The warehouse contained 75 metric tons of specialized nutritious foods intended for the treatment of malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls and young children. The warehouse is crucial for WFP’s emergency operations at a moment when almost a quarter of the population (4.4 million people) are facing crisis levels of hunger or worse in Somalia,” a WFP spokesperson said.
“WFP is actively engaging with authorities and partners to address this issue and ensure the safe storage of food commodities. WFP remains committed to delivering assistance to the most vulnerable communities in Somalia,” they concluded.
The announcement comes as President Donald Trump’s administration has taken steps to roll back protections for Somalis in the United States following a widespread fraud scandal in Minnesota involving many Somali immigrants. Trump terminated the temporary protected status for all Somalis in Minnesota in November.
The State Department did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for more information on how many aid programs are being paused.
HOW MINNESOTA’S SOMALI FRAUD INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX HAS STOLEN MILLIONS FROM MEDICAID
According to a U.S. government foreign assistance tracker database, the State Department has about $1.8 million in foreign assistance obligations to Somalia through the first three quarters of fiscal 2025. This was down from $291 million in obligations to Somalia in all of 2024 under former President Joe Biden’s administration, according to the database.
“The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance,” Lewin continued on X.
