Thursday April 10, 2025
On Tuesday, there was a sense of uncertainty among humanitarian organizations and food aid recipients throughout Somalia.
Officials announced on Wednesday that the Trump administration has reversed extensive cuts to emergency food assistance for several countries, while still maintaining reductions in Afghanistan and Yemen, which are among the poorest and most conflict-affected nations globally.
Initially, the U.S. had slashed funding for projects in over a dozen countries as part of a significant decrease in foreign aid spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.
According to two U.N. officials, the administration notified the World Food Program (WFP) of this reversal on Tuesday.
A representative from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) confirmed that Jeremy Lewin, an associate of Musk responsible for the restructuring of USAID, had instructed the reinstatement of some contract terminations made over the weekend, following a report by the Associated Press regarding the cuts.
These officials requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The WFP had announced on Monday that it had been informed of USAID's decision to reduce funding for its emergency food program in 14 countries.
As of Wednesday, it remained unclear how many of those funding cuts were still in effect.
"The individuals who will be most affected include mothers, nursing women, and children, among others. These are the vulnerable groups who rely heavily on aid as a primary source of livelihood," explained Mohamed Elmi Afrah, a seasoned aid worker and political analyst, as he discussed the potential consequences of funding cuts on the people of Somalia.
Mustafa Diriye, a logistics manager with five years of experience at Lusidle Petroleum and Logistics LTD, a contractor for the WFP, expressed his shock at the initial news of the cuts.
"This was entirely unexpected, and the immediate impact on us has been profound," he stated.
The WFP Somalia office issued a warning on X (formerly Twitter) about the severe repercussions of potential funding cuts.
They stated, "U.S. funding has been essential for food assistance in Somalia, enabling WFP to meet 90% of critical hunger needs. If these cuts go through, WFP will have to halt assistance by next month, putting 620,000 individuals at risk of extreme hunger."
Currently, over 6 million people in Somalia are experiencing acute food insecurity, as reported by the United Nations.
Years of conflict, ongoing droughts, catastrophic floods, and economic struggles have made food access increasingly precarious, especially for rural and displaced communities.
The U.S. has been the primary supporter of the WFP, contributing $4.5 billion of the $9.8 billion in total donations to the largest food aid organization in the world last year.
Previous administrations viewed this aid as a means to reduce conflict and address issues like poverty, extremism, and migration.
However, the Trump administration has criticized the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for promoting liberal agendas and has labeled foreign aid as a misuse of resources. U.S. officials have not yet responded to inquiries for comments.
On Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce acknowledged that some program cuts were made in error and confirmed that funding has been reinstated, though she did not provide further details.