US Suspends Aid to Somalia After Warehouse Destruction

The United States announced on Wednesday that it has suspended all assistance to Somalia's federal government following reports that officials destroyed a U.S.-funded warehouse operated by the World Food Program and seized 76 metric tons of food aid intended for vulnerable civilians.

The State Department stated that the warehouse at Mogadishu Port was demolished by port authorities at the direction of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, without prior notification to international donors including the United States. The facility stored specialized nutritious foods for malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women, girls, and young children. According to a senior State Department official speaking anonymously about diplomatic reports, the action represented a significant diversion of lifesaving aid in a country where nearly 4.4 million people, or a quarter of the population, face crisis levels of hunger or worse.

"The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of lifesaving assistance," the department said in a statement. It added that all ongoing U.S. assistance programs benefiting the Somali Federal Government have been paused, with a review...