Mogadishu (PP News Desk) — NGOs in Somalia are counting the loss of lucrative contracts from USAID projects in the country. All references to USAID projects in Somalia are now inaccessible online. The following notice appears on a USAID page to which all project reports are redirected: “On Friday, 7 February 2025, at 11:59 pm (EST), all USAID direct-hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership, and specially designated programmes.”
USAID had provided emergency food aid to families in various parts of Somalia. In addition, it funded literacy programmes in several federal member states, excluding Puntland State.
Between 2012 and 2024, USAID funded projects in Puntland State, such as the Partnership for Economic Growth (PEG) and the Somali Joint Health and Nutrition Programme (JHNP). However, Puntland State was denied participation in the USAID-funded Bar ama Baro (Teach or Learn) initiative. The Federal Government of Somalia influenced the implementation of this project.
“USAID accentuated the political rift between Puntland State and the Federal Government of Somalia. Its policies were reminiscent of those pursued in the 1980s when the United States opposed the Italian Aid Fund’s efforts to build infrastructure such as roads and a seaport in what is now Puntland” said a retired civil servant in Garowe.
The end of the transitional period in Somalia in 2012 also marked the end of the dual-track policy used by the Obama administration to engage with Puntland and Somaliland administrations.
The new Trump administration has frozen the USAID website as part of measures introduced by the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an acronym coincidentally similar to Doge, the cryptocurrency popularised by Elon Musk through his tweets.
Not many Somalis are mourning USAID’s exit. Many citizens believe that its role in the country has fostered dependency and corruption within NGO ecosystem. In the 1980s, Somali farmers complained that USAID donations were timed to coincide with the harvest season, undermining local agricultural markets. The government of the day was indifferent. Looking after the interests of citizens is the last thing on the mind of a government reliant on handouts distributed by USAID.
© Puntland Post, 2025
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