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The United States has announced it would resume food distribution in Somalia, weeks after a US-funded World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse was destroyed at the port of Mogadishu.
In early January, Washington suspended food assistance to Somalia following reports of theft and government interference.
At the time, US officials said Somali authorities had “illegally seized 76 metric tons of donor-funded food aid meant for vulnerable Somalis.”
US officials warned that any resumption of aid would depend on the Somali government’s accountability measures.
Mogadishu disputed the allegation, saying the warehouse demolition was part of “expansion and repurposing works” at the port.
On Wednesday, the Somali government said, “All WFP commodities affected by port expansion have been returned.”
In a statement, the government said it “takes full responsibility” for the incident and has “provided the World Food Programme with a larger and more suitable warehouse within the Mogadishu port area.”
The US State Department said in a post on X on Thursday, “We will resume WFP food distribution while continuing to review our broader assistance posture in Somalia.”
“The Trump Administration maintains a firm zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, or diversion of US resources,” the statement added.
US President Donald Trump has reduced foreign aid spending globally over the past year.
Separately, due to immigration enforcement actions, Somalis in the US have come under more scrutiny in recent weeks.
With about 80,000 members, Minnesota is home to the largest Somali community in the country. There, authorities have also investigated allegations of public benefits fraud.
