France has started providing direct aid and money to five rebel-held Syrian cities as it intensifies efforts to weaken President Bashar Assad, in the first such move by a Western power, a diplomatic source said Wednesday.
The French aid comes as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon criticized the Security Council on Wednesday for failing to take action to protect Syrians facing violence that has led to thousands of deaths.
Amid mounting calls for the international community to do more to prevent bloodshed, France — Syria's former colonial ruler — has pushed to create "liberated zones" in Syria.
France has increased its contacts with armed opposition groups and started giving aid last Friday to local citizens' councils in five cities outside the government's control, the diplomatic source told The Associated Press. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius promised last week that such aid was in the pipeline.
Read more:France sends aid, cash to rebel-held Syrian cities, source says - World News
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