Medical aid group reports Syrian troops seizing foreign aid; WFP warns of increasing food needs among refugees

Nov 9 2012

"A medical aid group said on Wednesday Syrian troops are seizing foreign aid and reselling it or channeling it towards government loyalists, putting millions of lives at risk," Reuters reports (11/7). "Almost all international aid sent to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent is being confiscated by the regime and never reaches civilians in need, [Union of Syrian Medical Relief Organisations (UOSSM),] an umbrella relief group for the war-ravaged country, said," Lebanon's Daily Star reports. "However, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP), which both work closely with the Syrian Red Crescent, denied their aid was being seized," the newspaper adds (Larson, 11/7). 

WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin "warned of increasing food needs for Syrian refugees after meeting with families during a two-day trip to Lebanon," the Daily Star writes in a separate article, noting, "She said the organization is currently providing around 75,000 people with aid and projects they will be helping 85,000 people by the end of the month (Dockery, 11/8). "Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is increasing its medical activities to help victims of the conflict in Syria," according to a press release from the organization. "MSF is providing emergency and surgical treatment for the wounded as well as other medical care for people displaced from their homes within Syria and for refugees who have escaped to neighboring countries," the press release states (11/6).