UN: Syria Cooperating on Humanitarian Aid, But Funds Lacking

'Breakthrough' in Dealing With Syrian Govt

United Nations humanitarian officials are reporting a “breakthrough” on dealing with the Assad regime in delivering emergency aid to civilians, saying that the government has removed a number of bureaucratic obstacles and “is following through on what it has agreed to do.”

Rather the major problem, officials say, is that nations which were supposed to be contributing to pay for the aid aren’t, and that only about 20% of the funding has come through.

The United Nations is planning another “Humanitarian Forum” on Syria which they are hoping will net some new contributions to aid, as the number in need has soared after the rebels abandoned the ceasefire.

Whether this will play out in the way they hope is another matter, however, as the usual suspects for such donations both in the West and the Arab world have come out demanding immediate regime change, and are unlikely to contribute to stabilizing the situation.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.