Unreleased UN Report Blames Assad for Preventing Aid from Reaching Needy

An unreleased United Nations report blames Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad for preventing aid workers from reaching those who need humanitarian help according to an American official. The report was written by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and distributed to Security Council members but not released to the public. A US official told the Reuters news agency the report shows that, “the magnitude and frequency of violence committed by the Assad regime far outstrips that of the armed groups in Syria.” Recently, in a rare occurrence, the Security Council was able to pass a resolution related to the Syrian situation that demanded immediate and unhindered access to aid in Syria. The official said Ban’s report says the Assad regime’s “massive and indiscriminate use of violence is the single most important factor driving the humanitarian crisis.” Nevertheless, both sides in the conflict share the blame. The regime has besieged 175,000 Syrians while the opposition forces have entrapped 45,000 according to Ban’s report, which also says that 9.3 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance while 2.6 million have left their homes.