U.N. Causes Food-Poisoning With Deliveries Of Old, "Mouldy" Biscuits To Syria, Says Rights Body As U.N. Staff Fired Over Child Porn, Moving Drugs In U.N. Vehicle

UN blamed for food poisoning outbreak after "mouldy" biscuits in aid convoy delivered to Syria (Image source: apolene.com)

The United Nations sent hundreds of boxes of "mouldy" high-energy biscuits that were past their 'sell-by' date to besieged people in Syria this month, causing widespread food poisoning, according to a humanitarian watchdog on Friday.

The U.N., which has gone to great lengths to get aid and supplies to 4.6 million Syrians living in hard-to-reach areas, helped trucks loaded with humanitarian aid reach the towns of Madaya and Zabadani near the Lebanese border earlier this month.

Reuters report continues:
According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, consignments of biscuits that were delivered had passed their 'sell-by' date in September and could be the only cause of an outbreak of food poisoning among almost 200 residents who came to makeshift hospitals.

The biscuits were "mouldy and rotten" and had been poorly stored, the watchdog said in an online report.

In a statement, the U.N. said 320 out of 650 boxes of the biscuits sent to Zabadani and Madaya as part of a relief convoy on Oct. 18 had expired in September but denied that eating them posed a threat to health.

"We can confirm that this was the result of an unfortunate human error during the loading process," said Yacoub El Hillo, the U.N. Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria.

He added that U.N. workers and humanitarian partners in Syria were "taking the issue very seriously and working to immediately rectify the situation."

United Nations (U.N.) Humanitarian Chief and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien waves to a Syrian refugee boy as he leaves after a visit (Image source: in.reuters.com)

Meanwhile Reuters reports that four United Nations staff were fired for sharing child pornography on email, while another staff member was sacked for using an official vehicle to transport marijuana, according to a management report on criminal cases in the year to June 30.

The report documents disciplinary matters and cases of criminal behavior involving U.N. secretariat staff. There are some 41,000 U.N. secretariat staff from 188 countries. The report did not reveal the locations of the staff who were dismissed or when they were fired.

The United Nations has been hit with a stream of allegations this year of misconduct and sexual abuse by peacekeepers in Central African Republic. The management report does not include cases involving peacekeepers.

Four U.N. staff were dismissed for sending and storing pornographic material involving a minor, according to the report.

Separately, another staff member was sacked for using an official U.N. vehicle to transport approximately 173 kilograms (381 pounds) of marijuana. No further details were given.

U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said on Friday that any cases of criminal conduct were referred to authorities in the country where the staff member was from.

"While the United Nations can and does follow up with Member States, the national authorities concerned have the sole prerogative in determining what, if any, investigations or proceedings are initiated against the individuals," Haq said.

He said it was also to the national authorities to determine "what, if any, update to provide to the United Nations."