US says aid will resume while Somali officials deny causing disruption leading to suspension
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The United States on Wednesday said it would lift a suspension of aid to Somalia after claiming authorities in the East African nation had taken responsibility for actions earlier this month that disrupted aid operations.
Despite the U.S. statement that Somalia had acknowledged accountability for the disruption of World Food Program aid at the Port of Mogadishu that led to the suspension, the Somali government did not confirm the claim on Wednesday or immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
While the suspension has been lifted, it was not immediately clear when aid deliveries would resume. The WFP did not immediately respond to enquiries.
The U.S. State Department said on Jan. 7 that it suspended all assistance to Somalia’s federal government over allegations that Somali officials destroyed a U.S.-funded warehouse belonging to the WFP, which is part of the United Nations, and seized 75 metric tons (82 tons) of food aid intended for impoverished civilians.
The WFP said in an earlier statement that its warehouse was demolished by Somali authorities. The warehouse contained specialized food intended for young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women who were malnourished. The organization later said it had retrieved the food without providing additional details.
Somalia’s Foreign Ministry denied the U.S. allegation, saying the expansion and construction work at the port had not affected custody or distribution of humanitarian assistance.
The State Department’s Office of the Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance posted a statement Wednesday on social media platform X saying the U.S. will “resume WFP food distribution while continuing to review our broader assistance posture in Somalia.”
The Trump administration has zero tolerance for “waste, theft, or diversion of U.S. resources,” the statement added.
The U.S. suspension came as the Trump administration has ratcheted up criticism of Somali refugees and migrants in the U.S., including fraud allegations involving child care centers in Minnesota. It has slapped significant restrictions on Somalis coming or attempting to stay in the U.S.
Located in the Horn of Africa, Somalia is one of the world’s poorest nations and for decades has been beset by chronic strife and insecurity exacerbated by multiple natural disasters including severe droughts.