Aleppo is in the midst of catastrophe today, with civilian areas pounded by strikes after Assad’s regime excluded the city from a ceasefire.
But the United Nations' social media team have apparently been distracted from the horror by delicious Syrian food.
The UN’s Arabic Twitter account was criticised today after posting a tweet about Syrian cooking – while failing to mention anything about the bombardment currently unfolding in the country itself.
لمحبي وجبة #الأوزي السورية، فيجب أن تجرب هذه الوصفة ضمن سلسلة #وصفة من بلدي! #طبخhttps://t.co/oWWgVXnbJx@WFP_AR pic.twitter.com/eAhl1Y8aas
— الأمم المتحدة (@UNarabic) 28 April 2016
For those who are in love with Syrian Uzi meal, you must try this recipe which is taken from “Recipe from my country” series #Cooking
The tweet links to an article by the World Food Programme that explains how to make Uzi - a popular Syrian dish.
Twitter did not respond kindly to the focus on Syria’s culinary heritage at a time of “monstrous” violence.
@UNarabic @WFP_AR
— Anas Almarie (@AnasMarie) 29 April 2016
النظام السوري وحلفاؤه حولو #حلب و #سورية ل #اوزي بشرية وانتم تنشرون طبخات، العار لأُممكم المتحدة على الصمت والخذلان
Syrian regime and its allies turned Aleppo and Syria into a human Uzi and you are publishing about cooking meals, your UN should feel shameful for being silent and not helping.
@UNarabic @WFP_AR this shouldn't ve. happened if u'd done ur job as peace keeper but I guess u were busy w food lust pic.twitter.com/2KU6jRcaXf
— Abier Khatib (@abierkhatib) 29 April 2016
وجبة الاوزي اهم من ارواح البشر لدى الأمم المتحدة #حلب_تناديكم #حلب_تحترق. @UNarabic @WFP_AR pic.twitter.com/XcBakHG2te
— نجود العتيبي⚔ (@msgogoksa) 29 April 2016
Uzi meal is more important to UN than human lives.
@UNarabic @WFP_AR شو نعمل لكم قائمة بخصوص أكلات غزة لحتى ما تحتاروا!! في العدوان الجاي
— Mohammad Y. Hasna (@Eng_mhasna) 29 April 2016
Shall we create a list of Gaza meals for you so you don’t get confused when Israel decides to attack again next time?
Silence over Aleppo appears to be the rule for the UN’s social media channels, not the exception. Other tweets on the Arabic account included coverage of Greek families housing Syrian refugees, information about villagers responding to the earthquake in Nepal, and publicity for an international jazz festival.
نحتفي اليوم باليوم الدولي لموسيقى #الجاز، فلماذا؟ الإجابة في.. https://t.co/eYafOtPbwn#JazzDay #الموسيقى pic.twitter.com/25QKXCXauo
— الأمم المتحدة (@UNarabic) 30 April 2016
On its English language channel the story was the same: featured themes included a competition to design a poster for media freedoms and updates on humanitarian responses in Nepal.
The UN has been criticised for downplaying atrocities in Syria before. In December, during the siege of Madaya, Foreign Policy magazine revealed that the agency had altered its Humanitarian Response Plan after consulting the Syrian government – changing key passages and removing information to paint the regime in a more favourable light.
As violence has continued to unfold in Aleppo, the UN has warned of a “catastrophic situation” and a “monstrous disregard for civilian lives by all sides in the conflict”.
