UN department criticised for tasteless emoji tweet on Idlib massacres

UN department criticised for tasteless emoji tweet on Idlib massacres
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has been criticised for a tweet on airstrikes on Syria's Idlib.
2 min read
17 July, 2019
The UN's emoji tweet sparked anger on Twitter [Twitter]
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) faced criticism from Syrians on Wednesday over an insensitive tweet regarding recent massacres of civilians in airstrikes in Idlib province.

The tweet called for an end to killings in northwest Syria, where opposition areas have come under fire from Russian and regime warplanes and shelling since April, killing hundreds of civilians.

"In NW Syria, air strikes and shelling continue to hit civilian infrastructure, and kill women, children & aid workers," the tweet read.

It was followed by emojis of four people, two of whom are smiling, which appeared aimed at World Emoji Day, which fell on Wednesday.

"Not the best idea to use emojis on that topic, srsly," one person tweeted back.

The UN followed up on the emojis with another line that also faced criticism.

"The @UN reminds the international community that civilians and aid workers are #NotATarget."

Syrians called on the UN to name the perpertators of the bombing in Idlib - Russia and the Syrian regime are widely blamed for targeting hospitals and schools, or dropping indiscriminate barrel bombs on Idlib province, home to some 3 million people.

"Is it aliens who bomb and shell and kill women, kids, men and Rescuers & hit vital infrastructure such as bakeries, water reservoirs, markets.. or it it possible that it's the Syrian Regime with the help of #Russia," one person tweeted back.

"It seems you don't dare to mention the names of those war criminals!! it is #Al_Assad & #Putin who run those airstrikes. it is shame, that the actual criminals sitting in #Damascus & #Moscow are protected by this false sympathy," another person added.

The UN has faced criticism for doing little to end the bloodshed during the past eight years of war in Syria, which has cost the lives on around half-a-million people.

Despite the vast majority of casualties believed to be civilians killed by regime and Russian bombing, activists say the UN has not singled out these sides for criticism.

The UN has also faced flack for pumping money into Syria which has allegedly helped enrich Bashar al-Assad's cronies.

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