The Guardian: UN pays millions to the Assad regime
An investigative report reveals that despite US and EU sanctions, the UN has given between $30,000 to $54 million to various Syrian government agencies, officials and companies—all tied to the Assad regime.
While the UN routinely condemns the Syrian governmen for its human rights violations, it also transfers millions of dollars to the same regime committing the abuses, according to an investigative report by the Guardian.
The investigation revealed that companies under American and European sanctions, non-profit organizations, government agencies and charitable organizations—including several started by Asma Assad, wife of President Bashar Assad—received large sums of money from UN aid funds.
According to the Guardian, that aid money was used by the Syrian regime to murder thousands of civilians.
The British newspaper gained access to contracts worth tens of millions of dollars that were signed between the UN and the Assad regime.
In one instance, the UN gave $4 million to a government-owned gas company that is under EU sanctions. In another case, the UN gave $13 million to the Syrian government for the advancement of agriculture in the country. This, despite the fact that the EU has banned trade with the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture and other government agencies over fear that money will be exploited for other purposes.
The World Health Organization (WHO) gave $5 million of aid funds to Syria's national blood bank, which is controlled by the Assad regime's Ministry of Defense. This is how the regime gets blood supplies to people the regime favors, such as soldiers and loyalists, and not to the civilians who are in dire need.
The international children's emergency fund (UNICEF) paid $267,933 to the Al-Bustan charity, which is owned by Rami Makhlouf, the cousin of Bashar Assad and the richest man in Syria. The charity is tied to several militia groups that support the regime in Damascus.
Other UN agencies gave more than $9 million to the Four Seasons hotel in Damascus between 2014-2015, of which a third is owned by the Syrian Ministry of Tourism.
The Guardian investigation found that in total, the UN paid between $30,000 to $54 million to 258 Syrian companies. Additionally, $900 million of of the UN's $1.1 billion aid budget for 2015 was channeled through Damascus.
The UN said in response that it is not obligated by US or EU sanctions, adding it must cooperate with the Syrian regime to save the lives of the millions of civilians in the country.
"Our duty is to help civilians in need," said the UN in response.
