The European Union (EU) has temporarily suspended funding for the World Food Programme (WFP) in Somalia following revelations of widespread theft and misuse of aid intended to prevent famine. A UN investigation uncovered that local authorities, landowners, members of the security forces, and even humanitarian workers were involved in diverting aid meant for vulnerable people. The EU, which provided over $7 million in aid to the WFP’s operations in Somalia last year, is awaiting additional conditions to be met before restoring funding, including stricter vetting of partners on the ground. It remains unclear whether any EU member states will also halt aid. The WFP has yet to comment on the suspension.
The UN investigation’s report, obtained by Reuters, stated that internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Somalia claimed they were coerced into giving up to half of the cash assistance they received to people in positions of power, such as local authorities, security forces, and influential individuals, under threats of eviction, arrest, or removal from beneficiary lists. These findings suggest that aid diversion in Somalia is widespread and systemic, according to the report, which examined 55 IDP sites and found aid diversion in all of them. Somalia already experiences one of the highest rates of displacement globally, with 3.8 million people displaced.
Last year, donors boosted funding to Somalia in response to warnings of an impending famine caused by severe drought in the region. Although famine was ultimately averted, the drought led to the deaths of an estimated 43,000 people, including half of them children under the age of five. The UN report underscored concerns that inadequate funding could jeopardize the fragile progress made thus far. Currently, only 36% of the required $2.6 billion for Somalia’s humanitarian response this year has been funded. The report also highlighted the vulnerability of cash-based transfer systems, previously implemented to mitigate corruption risks, as gatekeepers in dominant local clans exploited their influence over access to aid to extort payments from IDPs.
The EU’s decision to suspend funding reflects its zero-tolerance approach towards fraud, corruption, and misconduct. The European Commission contributes €10 million ($10.69 million) to support Somalia and Ethiopia through the WFP, and the suspension affects a portion of this funding. Meanwhile, the United States, which is the largest humanitarian donor to Somalia, has stated that it will investigate the extent of aid diversion and take appropriate measures to protect beneficiaries. Aid agencies and the Somali government have committed to investigating the UN report’s findings, emphasizing the need for improved accountability and transparency in aid delivery systems.
