The government of Somalia has asked the United States to transfer the support it used to receive through USAID directly to the federal government, and not through a third party.
Somalia’s ambassador to Washington, Dahir Hassan Arab, who gave an interview to VOA Somali, said that the government of Somalia welcomes changes in the way USAID works, which used to help in the development of Somalia, but the Trump administration closed its doors.
“Aid to the Somali government was not given directly in the past, so we demand that if the American government decides to continue the aid, it should be transferred directly to the Somali government,” said Ambassador Dahir Arab.
On the other hand, he said that the Somali government is ready to take over the salaries and support of the specially trained forces of Danab, which were previously supported by the United States. “The government of Somalia is ready to take over the needs of the army,” said Ambassador Dahir Arab.
According to the ambassador, USAID, whose future is now in doubt, has been helping Somalia in the reconstruction of economic infrastructure, such as ports, as well as the development of agriculture and production.
The new administration of Donald Trump has suspended the funds he was giving to organizations that help aid and development in developing countries, especially those in Africa. Other organizations that have had their aid cut include the World Health Organization (WHO).
