At precisely the same time as aid trucks pulled into the besieged Syrian village of Madaya—too late to save those who had already starved to death—convoys also entered the besieged areas of Fua and Kefraya. The timing was no coincidence. Last week's deal to allow aid into Madaya, which is surrounded by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was more of a swap by warring parties than a humanitarian gesture: the same militant group inside Madaya surrounds Fua and Kefraya. An account from the UN's IRIN news agency describes how food aid is being used by armed groups as a bargaining chip to affect population transfers.
Photo: UNWRA
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