Syrian Alawites accuse aid organizations of diverting UN assistance to militias

Syrian Alawite families displaced by sectarian violence accuse SARC and UNHCR of diverting UN aid to Sunni militias responsible for attacks. Two sources describe being denied assistance at distribution centers, with one saying her family's name was replaced on aid lists. UNHCR denies discrimination, stating aid is distributed based on need.

Syrian Alawites displaced by sectarian violence have accused aid organizations, including the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and UNHCR, of diverting UN assistance to the same Sunni militias responsible for attacks against them. Several families told The Jerusalem Post that aid intended for victims of the coastal massacre and displaced Alawites is being redirected to militias affiliated with the new Sharaa regime. One source, identified as R., described arriving at a SARC distribution center in rural Hama only to be denied aid by armed gangs wearing Syrian General Security uniforms, who accused her family of being remnants of the former Assad regime. She said her family's name was replaced on aid lists with those of local militias. Another source, T., said he was shot while fleeing the massacre in Jableh and believes UNHCR and SARC are complicit in the violence, alleging that aid delivered to his neighborhood was stolen by the same militias that attacked him. A UNHCR spokesperson denied discrimination, stating that aid is distributed based on assessed humanitarian needs without distinction based on religious or ethnic background. The article notes that a UN investigative team confirmed last year that war crimes were likely committed during the March 2025 coastal massacre, which killed around 1,400 people, mostly Alawite civilians.