MESOP FLASH : Assad’s cousin ‘Makhlouf’ may control International Aid distribution in Syria
Zamanalwsl – 8.3.2014 – Rami Makhlouf, the well known businessman, who is considered the economical and financial cover for Assad family, come back strongly to lights as the first choice to re-build Syria and to observe the humanitarian corridors for aid and relief, after managing to control them, sources reported to Zaman Alwasl.
Documents showed that only two companies, which are part of Makhlouf’s empire, are able to work as agents inside Syria to distribute aid, according to sources, which means that international aid and relief will help in introducing Makhlouf once again as number one businessman in Syria.Sources assumed that Syrian Regime’s support played important role in drawing attention to Makhlouf’s companies, and introducing them as the biggest agents in the country and have large number of employees who have good native and local experience and can easily reach inside the siege areas.
Many newspapers reported that Makhlouf has competed with other companies to control the aid and relief process via many agents and mediators who stayed clean and have not been boycotted.
It looks that Makhlouf’s economic empire has not been affected from the boycott Syria faces for more than two years, as he managed to transfer most of his money to companies in Latin America, which would play important part in re-building Syria, as always Bashar al-Assad said that Syria would only be re-built by Syrian efforts. In the end, an important question raises about the way that international community is going to deal with Rami Makhlouf, who is boycotted and considered one of the most important part of Syrian Regime.
Reporting by Sara Abdul Hai; Translation by Yusra Ahmed