Tag Archives: Aid
25 August 2014
According to Rudaw, in an interview with German ZDF radio last week, German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier said that Berlin had a shared responsibility to support the Kurdish forces in their war against ISIS, adding that Europe cannot be indifferent to the IS advance.
The Kurdish Peshmerga remain the only reliable military force in Iraq after the Iraqi army, faced with the IS advance that began in June 2014, collapsed. European military support for the Kurds continued to swell on Wednesday 20 August, with Germany, Albania and Italy announcing arms supplies to Peshmerga forces fighting the ISIS armies. They join Britain and France in arms supplies to the Kurds, who are also being backed with US air strikes against the militants and logistical help from Canada.
According to Reuters, Steinmeier said that, besides humanitarian aid and military equipment such as body armor and helmets, “we can also imagine providing further equipment, including weapons” but went on to state that this would take place “in close agreement with our European and international partners (…) in such a way that it boosts the Peshmerga’s ability to defend themselves.”
Source: Rudaw | European Nations Boost Arms Supplies, Military Support to Kurds
Source: Reuters | Germany, Italy say prepared to send weapons to Iraq's Kurds
Source: Rudaw | Germany Joins Countries Arming Kurdish Peshmerga Forces
26 May 2014
On 22 May, in a confidential report, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the Security Council to authorise the delivery of food and medicine to Syria without Al-Assad’s consent. In what the NY Times has named Ban Ki-moon’s strongest push to date to bypass Syria’s government so as to deliver aid, the Secretary General indicated that the Syrian government is failing in its responsibility to look after its own people. (more…)
Source: The New York Times | U.N. Chief Urges Aid Delivery Without Syria’s Consent
Source: Gulfnews | Ban Ki-moon’s confidential report urges Security Council to send aid without Al Assad’s consent
12 December 2013
A United States embassy spokesman in Turkey announced that the US has suspended all non-lethal aid to the opposition in northern Syria, after forces from the Islamic Front (a new coalition of six major Islamist rebel groups) seized bases and warehouses belonging to the Western-backed Supreme Military Council (SMC). Likewise, a spokesman from the British embassy in Turkey stated that ‘We have no plans to deliver any equipment while the situation remains so unclear. We will keep this under close review.’
The Islamic Front disconnected last week from the SMC and Free Syrian Army (FSA), and took over the headquarters and weapons warehouses at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey. According to the US spokesman, the situation is being investigated to ‘inventory the status of U.S. equipment and supplies provided to the SMC.’ The US alone has committed 250 million dollar worth non-lethal assistance (food rations, medical supplies, but possibly also communications equipment, intelligence assistance and body armour) to be delivered to the Syrian National Coalition, local opposition councils, and the SMC.
The Islamic Front’s success in capturing the weapons stores could undermine SMC assurances to the US that no supplies sent to their fighters would fall into the hands of Islamist brigades.
Source: Reuters | U.S., Britain suspend aid to north Syria after Islamists seize weapons store
Source: Foreign Policy | U.S. Suspends Non-Lethal Aid into Northern Syria
13 September 2013
The Washington Post reported that in the last few weeks, the CIA has started delivering (light) weapons to rebels in Syria, mainly in order to support fighters that are under the command of General Idriss, the commander of the Supreme Military Council. Separate deliveries (e.g. vehicles) have been made by the State Department. Aid in the form of nonlethal gear (e.g. medical kits and communications equipment) has also been delivered to the Syrian rebels.
Source: The Washington Post | U.S. weapons reaching Syrian rebels