The numbers tell a story that ought to make every American’s blood simmer. Seventy-six metric tons of emergency food aid, donated by the United States to help feed hungry Somalis, now sits in ruins after that nation’s government deliberately demolished the warehouse storing it.
This is not a tale of bureaucratic mishap or unfortunate accident. According to a diplomatic cable from the United States Embassy in Somalia, this was destruction ordered from the top. On January 3, at the direct command of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Somali authorities bulldozed the World Food Programme Emergency Response Warehouse at Mogadishu Port without so much as a courtesy call to the United States or any other donor nation.
The warehouse did not fall victim to weather or warfare. It was torn down while full of American-donated food supplies, likely rendering them completely destroyed. The World Food Programme had objected strenuously, but Somalia’s president gave the order anyway.
The reason behind this shocking waste cuts to the bone of international corruption. The Mogadishu Port operates under management by a Turkish company eager to expand its footprint. Somalia’s Minister of Ports, according to the embassy cable, essentially serves as that Turkish company’s primary representative within the Somali government. Turkey has steadily increased its economic presence across Somali industries through what diplomatic sources describe as corrupt contracts that consistently favor Turkish interests over local needs.
An additional 1,650 metric tons of emergency commodities had been scheduled to arrive in early January. Those supplies now require alternative storage arrangements, if they can be accommodated at all.
The World Food Programme, operating under United Nations auspices, plans to notify Somalia that this demolition violated established UN diplomatic protocols. The American embassy in Somalia did not mince words in its recommendation to the Secretary of State, requesting serious consideration of pausing, canceling, or postponing all assistance to Somalia until the government either returns or compensates the United States and other donors for what the cable plainly called “stolen food assistance items.”
The State Department responded swiftly on January 7, announcing a pause on all ongoing assistance programs benefiting the Somali Federal Government. Any resumption, officials stated, would depend on Somalia taking accountability for these unacceptable actions.
A senior administration official, speaking under condition of anonymity, has now confirmed that the response will go further than a temporary pause. All aid to Somalia will be permanently and officially terminated by May.
The port minister had issued an eviction notice to the World Food Programme in December, though the Somali government later indicated the warehouse could continue operating while a final decision remained pending. The port manager subsequently claimed the food had been moved to two containers and remained accessible. The World Food Programme flatly contradicted that assertion, stating the food likely suffered irreparable damage because it requires specialized storage conditions.
These supplies came from American taxpayers through the Title II “Food for Peace” program and International Disaster Assistance funding. The World Food Programme administers distribution of such aid in crisis zones worldwide.
The question facing American policymakers is straightforward. When a foreign government deliberately destroys emergency food aid intended for its own starving citizens to accommodate corrupt business dealings, what message does continued assistance send? The answer from this administration appears equally clear.
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