THE United Nations has been accused of “ignoring” widespread abuse of women and girls in Syria by those tasked with distributing aid.

A report from the UN Population Fund on gender-based violence in the war-torn country reported cases of “women or girls marrying officials for a short period of time for ‘sexual services’ in order to receive meals or obtaining distributions ‘in exchange for a visit to her home’ or ‘in exchange for services, such as spending a night with them’.”

But aid worker Danielle Spencer told the BBC that this form of exploitation had been reported three years ago after she interviewed women in a Jordanian refugee camp who said officials in rebel-held Dara’a and Quneitra had demanded sex in return for aid in 2015.