A spokesman for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the accusation "discredits the work of national and international humanitarian aid workers." El Hillo said just 2 percent of the aid distributed by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent does not reach beneficiaries. Germany's Defense Ministry said in comments to The Associated Press Wednesday that it had not deployed any forces to Syria. A Syrian government official meanwhile denounced the presence of Western troops in northern Syria, singling out French and German special forces advising the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces battling Islamic State militants in the Manbij and Kobani areas. An international advocacy group on Wednesday accused the United Nations of prioritizing its relationship with the Syrian government over delivering aid to civilians in need, saying the world body is "in serious breach of its humanitarian principles."

Source: ABC News June 15, 2016 09:33 UTC