The US has suspended all assistance to the government of Somalia, alleging that officials destroyed a UN World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse and seized "donor-funded food aid".

"The Trump administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance," said a US state department statement on X.

The message, posted on the account of the under secretary for foreign assistance, said reports had been received about officials illegally seizing 76 tonnes of food intended for "vulnerable Somalis".

Somali has denied the allegations, saying that the expansion work under way in the Mogadishu port, where the warehouse is located, had not affected any aid storage.