The United States paused aid in Somalia and South Sudan on Thursday over reports of theft and government interference, declaring a "zero-tolerance policy" for the misuse of its assistance.
The suspension of aid to Somalia followed the destruction of a US-funded World Food Program (WFP) warehouse in the capital Mogadishu's port.
The US Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs and Religious Freedom posted on X late Wednesday that Somali officials had "illegally seized 76 metric tons of donor-funded food aid for vulnerable Somalis".
A WFP spokesperson confirmed to AFP that the warehouse had been demolished by port authorities, but the government and two local sources said the food had not been stolen.
"The warehouse was partially demolished during the weekend without the knowledge of the WFP team, but there was no looting involved," a WFP staff member in Mogadishu, speaking on condition of anonymity, said.
"All the stocked supply was kept intact. The government gave the space for WFP to build the warehouse in the first place, and they wanted it back," a port staff member, also speaking anonymously, told AFP.
In a statement, the Somali government said the warehouse was demolished as part of "expansion and repurposing works" at the port.
US officials said any future aid would be "dependent on the Somali Federal Government taking accountability" and resolving the matter.
Meanwhile, the US embassy in South Sudan, another conflict-hit country in east Africa, said it was suspending parts of its aid program over the "continued abuse, exploitation, and theft directed against US foreign assistance by South Sudanese officials at national, state, and county levels".
It highlighted the detention of a US-linked aid worker after he refused to illegally hand over assets to a county commissioner in South Sudan's Ayod County in Jonglei state, and the refusal to allow the transfer of US-funded pharmaceutical supplies in Bahr el-Ghazal state.
The embassy said it was suspending aid in Ayod County and "considering significant reductions" in Bahr el-Ghazal.
The Trump administration has slashed aid over the past year.
Somalis in the United States have also become a particular target for the administration in recent weeks, targeted in immigration raids.
They have also been accused of large-scale public benefit fraud in Minnesota, which has the largest Somali community in the country with around 80,000 members.
There has also been a rift with Somalia over Israel's recognition of Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, which was supported by the US.
