WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department said Wednesday that it has suspended all U.S. assistance to Somalia's federal government over allegations that Somali officials destroyed an American-funded warehouse belonging to the World Food Program and seized 76 metric tons offood aid intended for impoverished civilians.
"The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance," the department said in a statement.
"The State Department has paused all ongoing U.S. assistance programs which benefit the Somali Federal Government," it said. "Any resumption of assistance will be dependent upon the Somali Federal Government, taking accountability for its unacceptable actions and taking appropriate remedial steps."
The suspension comes as the Trump administration has ratcheted upcriticism of Somali refugees and migrantsin the United States, including over well-publicizedfraud allegations involving child care centersin Minnesota. It has slapped significantrestrictions on Somalis wanting to come to the U.S.and made it difficult for those already in the United States to stay.
It was not immediately clear how much assistance would be affected by the suspension because the Trump administration has slashed foreign aid expenditures,dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Developmentand not released new country-by-country data.
The U.S. had provided $770 million in assistance for projects in Somalia during the last year of the Democratic President Joe Biden's administration, but only a fraction of that went directly to the government.
The Horn of Africa, where Somalia is located, is one the world's poorest nations and has beenbeset by chronic strifeand insecurity exacerbated by multiple natural disasters, including severe droughts, for decades.
