US Pauses Foreign Aid to Somali Government Amid Fraud Allegations

A mother in Somalia waits to have her child vaccinated against hepatitis B in a file image. Carl De Souza/AFP via Getty ImagesThe United States suspended all assistance programs for the Somali federal government Wednesday after reports surfaced alleging Somali officials had destroyed a U.S.-funded World Food Programme warehouse and seized 76 metric tons of food aid intended for its poverty-stricken citizens.“The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance,” the U.S. Office of Foreign Assistance announced on social media, saying the United States is “deeply concerned” about the reports.