UN hiring of Syrian spy chief ’s daughter raises exploitation fears

THE United Nations hired a daughter of Syria’s sanctioned spy chief, it has been revealed, prompting accusations that it is allowing the Syrian regime to exploit aid following the devastating earthquake last month.

UN CERF, a body responsible for distributing emergency aid, employs the daughter of Hussam Louka, the head of Syria’s general intelligence directorate, in Damascus, the Financial Times reported.

The report did not name the woman, who was not accused of wrongdoing, but Mr Louka has been sanctioned by the UK, US and EU for human rights violations in his role as the head of Syria’s civilian intelligence service.

“I can’t tell you the amount of times where a Syrian government official has walked into our offices and pushed us to hire their kid,” an unnamed aid worker told the Financial Times yesterday.

Aid has come under increasing scrutiny after a powerful earthquake, which killed nearly 6,000 people, in Syria and neighbouring Turkey last month displaced more than 100,000 and destroyed water networks resulting in a worsening cholera epidemic.

Following the earthquake, the UN aid chief publicly apologised for failing to deliver timely aid to northwest Syria following delays caused by negotiating with Damascus for permission to provide cross-border aid.

The regime of Bashar al-assad, the president of Syria, restricts aid to rebelcontrolled areas and diverts it to loyal communities, according to analysts and rights groups, with aid workers citing the need for permissions as a major impediment to their work

Emma Beals, a non-resident fellow at the Middle East Institute, said: “Greater scrutiny must be given to ensure this support reaches those who need it most and doesn’t empower the most nefarious elements of the regime.”

A UN spokesman said: “All staff members are hired according to rigorous recruitment processes.”