U.N. accuses Syria of impeding aid deliveries

The U.N. humanitarian chief is accusing the Syrian government of imposing “arbitrary restrictions and obstructions” on the delivery of aid and banning life-saving medical supplies from shipments to opposition-held areas.

Valerie Amos told the U.N. Security Council Thursday that “some opposition groups have also attacked, threatened and refused to cooperate with humanitarian workers.”

She said the number of Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance has increased from one million in 2011 to 10.8 million – and gone up 1.5 million in just the last six months. That includes 4.7 million in hard-to-reach areas.

“Four years into this war,” Amos said, “we are unable to sustainably reach nearly half of those identified as being in the direst need.”

She urged the council to facilitate cross-border deliveries from Turkey, Jordan and Iraq.

The Associated Press