NGO Report: UN Losing Impartiality in Syria Over Aid Deliveries

Over 50 Groups Back Complaints UN Letting Syria Dictate Aid Flow

A new report (PDF) endorsed by over 50 human rights and other NGOs, is strongly criticizing the United Nations over its handling of humanitarian aid deliveries to displaced people in Syria, arguing that the international body is losing its impartiality over the situation.

In particular, the report says the UN has fostered a “culture of compliance” to Syrian government restrictions on timing and location of aid deliveries, by knuckling under at the first sign that Syria might revoke their permission to operate if they don’t play ball.

This has meant the UN aid deliveries have only worked really well in Syrian government-controlled territory, and deliveries have been infrequent in some of the sieged rebel territories when it suits the military to keep aid out of those areas.

The World Food Programme notes that only about 12% of food deliveries in April actually went to places outside of government control. Though it’s unsurprising it would be a majority, given the largest rebel areas are under ISIS control and unsafe for aid workers, even places with relatively moderate rebels, like Daraa, have seen deliveries dry up quickly.

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.