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Relations between Somalia and the United States have deteriorated after Washington announced it would pause further assistance that benefits the government in Mogadishu, following a dispute over the demolition of a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and the handling of donor-funded food aid.
The U.S. State Department’s under secretary of foreign assistance said in a post on X on Wednesday that Somali government officials had destroyed a U.S.-funded WFP warehouse and illegally seized donor-funded food assistance intended for vulnerable Somalis. As a result, Washington decided to suspend aid to Somalia, although the value of the paused assistance was not immediately disclosed.
A WFP spokesperson told Reuters on Thursday that the agency had since retrieved 75 metric tons of nutritional commodities.
However, a day earlier, another WFP spokesperson said the warehouse housing the same quantity of aid had been demolished by port authorities.
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A U.S. official said Washington was “glad to hear reports that certain commodities have been recovered,” but stressed that the administration is continuing its investigation into the alleged diversion and misuse of assistance in Somalia.
“We’ve urged the Federal government of Somalia to promptly follow through on their commitment to provide an account of the incident,” the official said.
Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs disputed claims that U.S.-funded aid had been stolen, insisting that the assistance remained under WFP custody.
In a statement issued earlier on Thursday, the ministry said expansion and repurposing works were underway in the Mogadishu Port area, where the demolished facility — known as the “blue warehouse” — had been located.
Those operations, the ministry said, “have not affected the custody, management, or distribution of humanitarian assistance.”
The WFP confirmed it is working with Somali authorities to resolve the situation and ensure the safe storage of food supplies following the demolition.
The agency emphasised the importance of the destroyed facility to its emergency operations.
“The warehouse contained 75 metric tons of specialised 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,” a WFP spokesperson said.
The aid pause comes at a critical time for Somalia, which is grappling with severe food insecurity, ongoing conflict and humanitarian pressures, raising concerns that the diplomatic dispute could further strain relief efforts for millions in need.
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