NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 28 — The United States on Tuesday announced the resumption of World Food Programme (WFP) food distribution in Somalia after the federal government acknowledged responsibility for actions that disrupted aid operations.
The Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs, and Religious Freedom said Washington welcomed Somalia’s acceptance of accountability for activities that affected WFP operations, including US-funded assistance.
“The United States acknowledges the Federal Government of Somalia for taking responsibility for its actions affecting World Food Programme (WFP) operations, including US-funded assistance,” the official said.
“Following this statement, we will resume WFP food distribution while continuing to review our broader assistance posture in Somalia. The US maintains a firm zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, or diversion of US resources.”
The announcement follows a January 7 decision by Washington to suspend all assistance to the Somali government, after alleging that officials destroyed a US-funded WFP warehouse in Mogadishu and illegally seized 76 metric tonnes of donor-funded food aid meant for vulnerable communities.
At the time, the US State Department said it had paused all ongoing assistance programs benefiting the Somali Federal Government, adding that any resumption would depend on Mogadishu taking accountability and implementing remedial measures.
“The US has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance,” the Under Secretary said then, citing reports that officials had seized food intended for “vulnerable Somalis.”
Somali authorities initially denied the allegations, stating that expansion works at Mogadishu port, where the warehouse is located, had not affected aid storage.
They maintained that the food remained “under the custody and control of the World Food Programme,” including US-funded assistance.
