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UN says ready to get aid into Syria despite gov’t

By WTOP Staff

CARA ANNA
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations secretary-general said the world body is poised to help get long-awaited humanitarian aid across borders into Syria even at crossings outside government control, in defiance of Damascus’ insistence that all aid go through its authorities.

Ban Ki-Moon’s new report released Thursday points to a possible path ahead after months of frustration over the inability to get basic necessities to millions of Syrians trapped in the three-year conflict.

The report says access to humanitarian aid remains “unpredictable and woefully inadequate” and that the government of President Bashar Assad has “failed” to care for its people, and it indicates that the U.N. will move ahead on aid delivery regardless of government consent.

“We are ready to put in place arrangements at key border and line crossings to facilitate, improve and monitor access,” the report says, including at crossings “currently outside the government’s effective control.”

Ban said about 9.3 million people — more than 6.5 million displaced by the fighting — are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance within Syria, and access to both government and opposition areas has “dropped significantly” in the last month alone. He warned in his report that “the next two weeks are critical” in determining whether progress can be made in widening aid access.

The U.N. Security Council has been pressured to back up a resolution passed earlier this year demanding access by all sides in the conflict for delivering humanitarian aid. Diplomats and U.N. officials have said the situation on the ground has worsened since then.

Ban called on the council Thursday to “urgently” consider its next steps. That has been difficult, as Syria’s closest ally, Russia, is likely to veto any council resolution under the section of the U.N. Charter that authorizes action without a government’s consent.

Australian Ambassador Gary Quinlan told reporters Thursday that his country, Luxembourg and Jordan will bring a new resolution to the council “very soon,” though he didn’t give details.

“We agree totally with the secretary-general. It is time for action,” Quinlan said.

The secretary-general repeated Thursday that parties to the conflict, “particularly the government of Syria, continue to deny access for humanitarian assistance in a completely arbitrary and unjustifiable manner.”

Ban added, “Arbitrarily withholding consent for the opening of all relevant border crossings is a violation of international humanitarian law, and an act of non-compliance with resolution 2139.”

The report said that Syria points to its long-standing policy to deny the use of border crossings outside its control.

A map of Syria’s border crossings distributed last month by the U.N. shows 34 crossings from Turkey, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, with just five marked “open” and five marked “problematic,” with the others marked “closed.”

Last month, 35 international lawyers, including a former U.N legal counsel, accused the United Nations of an “overly cautious interpretation of humanitarian law, which has held U.N. agencies back from delivering humanitarian aid across borders” into Syria. The lawyers declared that the U.N. faces “no legal barrier” to delivering humanitarian aid across borders and to supporting other aid groups in similar efforts.

Ban’s new report indicates the new approach, saying, “The U.N. will do all it can to facilitate and enable the provision of assistance by humanitarian organizations across borders in accordance with resolution 2139.”

There was no immediate response to an email and call to Syria’s mission to the U.N.

Ban’s overall assessment of the war’s toll on the Syrian people remained bleak. “Disrespect for human life and dignity remains a defining feature of the Syrian conflict,” and “appalling patterns” of human rights abuses continue,” it said. More than 160,000 people have been killed since the crisis began, activists have said.

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Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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