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DAMASCUS Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Sunday his government was determined to win back all Syrian territories, as state media reported significant advances against the last rebel-held enclaves in the countrys northwest.

The Syrian government offensive has piled pressure on opposition forces backed by Turkey. On Sunday, Syrian troops captured at least 30 villages and towns in the western Aleppo countryside, state media and activists said.

The fighting in rural Aleppo and nearby Idlib province has unleashed a humanitarian crisis. Over 800,000 civilians out of nearly 4 million living in the enclave have been displaced, living in open fields and temporary shelters for the most part in harsh winter conditions.

The Syrian governments new advance effectively secures its hold on Aleppo province and its capital for the first time since 2012.

State news agency SANA reported 30 villages and towns around the city were captured on Sunday.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, the head of the Britain-based war monitor Syria Observatory for Human Rights, confirmed the report.

This means the control of Aleppo (city), and the countryside and securing all of Aleppo, Abdul-Rahman said.

The armed opposition is now squeezed into a shrinking area of nearby Idlib province, where the government is also on the offensive. The opposition had been driven out of Aleppo citys eastern quarters in late 2016, which they controlled for years while battling government forces who were in charge in the western part.

The Syrian people are determined to liberate all Syrian territories, President Assad said according to the Syrian state news agency on Sunday.

Assad was speaking during a meeting with visiting Iranian parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani. Both Iran and Russia have heavily backed Assad in the civil war.

The Syrian leader also claimed terrorists in northwestern Syria were using residents as human shields, in an attempt to stop Syrian troops from advancing into the territory.

Syrias government considers all the opposition in the nine-year war as terrorists and has repeatedly leveled accusations that they take residents of areas they control as hostages. But many of the displaced in Syrias Idlib province have fled the fighting in other parts of the country, choosing to live in areas outside of government control.

Turkey has sent thousands of troops and equipment into the opposition enclave, in an attempt to stall the government advance.

Turkey, which backs the opposition, has called for an end to the Syrian government offensive. It also fears that the displaced may overwhelm its borders. Turkey is already home to more than 3.5 million Syrian refugees. The United Nations has also called for a cease-fire.

Larijani, meanwhile, reiterated his countrys support for Syria in fighting terrorism. Iran has played a key role in supporting Assads war efforts, sending financial support as well as fighters to back up Syrian military operations.

Support from Russia and Iran has enabled Assads forces to regain control of much of the territories they had lost to armed groups who worked to topple him.

Over 400,000 people have been killed and half of Syrias population displaced since peaceful protests in 2011 turned into a civil war stoked by foreign interventions.

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Assad vows to defeat rebels as forces control most of Aleppo region - The Japan Times

The European Commission, under its newly elected president Ursula von der Leyen, this morning emitted a sweeping digital strategy for the member states over the next five years. There's a lot to get through, but it focuses on three pillars: digital enablement and protection for individuals (including AI regulation and broadband availability), fair competition, and sustainability.

The proposers of EU-wide law published multiple papers on the issues, which included a proposed new Digital Services Act.

New publications include a white paper on artificial intelligence (PDF) (feedback is requested); a European strategy for data (PDF); and an overall strategy statement (PDF) on shaping Europe's digital future.

Today's announcements are significant in that they should guide new legislation, but that does not mean that forthcoming legislation will achieve the goals described. Many of the aspirations are vague and implementation is difficult.

The EU's track record on regulating the tech giants that dominate both the internet and IT generally is mixed. Initiatives like Windows N and the Windows browser ballot box, or more recently the Android search provider choice screen are examples of botched solutions whereas the 2016 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regulation has had real impact, though the extent to which it has achieved its goals is limited.

"We must be prepared to act to forcefully defend our democracies," says the strategy document, referring to "attempted manipulations of the information space, often in the form of targeted and coordinated disinformation campaigns".

The EU will publish a "European Democracy Action Plan to improve the resilience of our democratic systems, support media pluralism and address the threats of external intervention in European elections" planned for late 2020.

By 2025, the EU also intends to provide all European households (whether urban or rural) with a minimum 100Mbps broadband and "Gigabit internet connectivity" for schools, hospitals and businesses.

The EU also aspires to use technology to improve the environment, saying: "Digital solutions can advance the circular economy, support the decarbonisation of all sectors and reduce the environmental and social footprint of products placed on the EU market."

Infrastructure issues aside, how does the EU intend to clean up the internet? "Many decisions that strongly affect the lives of citizens and businesses are taken by private gatekeepers, based on their exclusive access to all data generated within their ecosystems," it says.

There are a number of references to "online platforms" (think Facebook, Google, Twitter and so on) and their "roles and responsibilities", with the goal of tackling illegal content and "the sale of illicit, dangerous or counterfeit goods".

In the area of competition, the EU states its intention of "ensuring a level playing field for businesses, big and small". The intent of forthcoming measures will be rules that apply offline including competition rules, consumer protection, intellectual property, taxation and workers' rights "should also apply online."

There is also the matter of taxation. "In the borderless digital world, a handful of companies with the largest market share get the bulk of the profits on the value that is created in a data-based economy," says the paper. "Those profits are often not taxed where they are generated as a result of outdated corporate tax rules, distorting competition. This is why the Commission will look to address the tax challenges arising from the digitisation of the economy."

It is notable that this statement is diluted from an earlier leaked draft, which insisted that it is unacceptable "that some companies pay their taxes and others do not" and that "companies that want to play in Europe must pay in Europe". An ambition that may be too hard to achieve.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confronts technology. Pic via EC

In its paper on AI, the EU is conscious that it is behind. "Investment in research and innovation in Europe is still a fraction of the public and private investment in other regions of the world. Some 3.2 billion were invested in AI in Europe in 2016, compared to around 12.1 billion in North America and 6.5 billion in Asia," it says, adding: "Europe currently is in a weaker position in consumer applications and on online platforms, which results in a competitive disadvantage in data access."

Acknowledging that AI can be used for harm as well as good, the EU plans to review its existing legislative framework because of the specific risks posed though existing legislation such as GDPR also applies. These risks include lack of transparency in AI algorithms, systems that change their functionality after initial installation and "changes to the concept of safety" because of cyber threats, or what happens to an IoT device if connectivity is lost. The EU is exploring a risk-based approach, where the regulation is heavier if risks are higher. High-risk areas include healthcare, transport, energy, and "parts of the public sector".

New requirements will cover safety, such as "ensuring that AI systems are trained on data sets that are sufficiently broad and cover all relevant scenarios", discrimination such as "reasonable measures aimed at ensuring that such subsequent use of AI systems does not lead to outcomes entailing prohibited discrimination" such as gender or ethnicity and "requirements aimed at ensuring that privacy and personal data are adequately protected during the use of AI-enabled products".

There is recognition of the importance of human oversight so that humans are not helpless in the face of "computer says no". For example, "the output of the AI system does not become effective unless it has been previously reviewed and validated by a human (e.g. the rejection of an application for social security benefits may be taken by a human only)."

The controversial topic of facial recognition is addressed. The paper says: "The gathering and use of biometric data for remote identification purposes, for instance through deployment of facial recognition in public places, carries specific risks for fundamental rights," though it also states that existing regulations apply. "In accordance with the current EU data protection rules and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, AI can only be used for remote biometric identification purposes where such use is duly justified, proportionate and subject to adequate safeguards." In its Q&A on the topic, the commission adds that facial recognition is normally prohibited "in principle" unless certain specific conditions are met. "The Commission wants to launch a broad debate on which circumstances might justify exceptions in the future, if any," it says.

How would AI regulations be implemented? The EU is planning a "conformity assessments for high-risk AI applications" similar to mechanisms that exist for other types of goods placed on the EU's internal market.

The EU's paper on data bemoans that "a small number of Big Tech firms hold a large part of the world's data". It does not want to cede the benefits of data analysis (which is also the foundation of AI) to other regions. "The EU should create an attractive policy environment so that, by 2030, the EU's share of the data economy data stored, processed and put to valuable use in Europe at least corresponds to its economic weight, not by fiat but by choice," it says.

Plans for data are set out as four pillars. The first is "a cross-sector governance framework for data access and use". An "enabling legislative framework" is planned for late 2020. Second, it says that between 2021 and 2027 the EU plans to invest in a "High Impact Project on European data spaces and federated cloud infrastructures". Total funding might be 4bn-6bn, partly from central funds and partly from member states. Does the EU plan to build its own alternative to AWS and Azure? Possibly, though using federation rather than a single centralised entity. "The project will fund infrastructures, data-sharing tools, architectures and governance mechanisms for thriving data-sharing and Artificial Intelligence ecosystems," it says, "based on the European federation (i.e. interconnection) of energy-efficient and trustworthy edge and cloud infrastructures (Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service and Software-as-a-Service services)."

The third pillar is investment in data skills for individuals and SMEs, including "increasing the participation of women", while the fourth is the creation of sector-specific "data spaces", which means cooperation to create "large pools of data" that can be used to power "new services and applications based on data". Sectors include manufacturing, environmental "Green deal" issues, intelligent transport, health, finance, energy, agriculture and public administration.

In a separate personal statement, President von der Leyen states her aim of achieving "tech sovereignty", explaining that "this describes the capability that Europe must have to makes its own choices, based on its own values, respecting its own rules."

What are we to make of this raft of plans and proposals? The European Commission has shown its understanding of the importance of numerous issues, including the risks of depending on tech giants based outside the EU, the business advantages and ethical concerns around AI and facial recognition, and "the dangers of losing control of our data". The ability of the EU to come with workable legislation that makes a difference is less certain, bearing in mind past failures, the commercial and lobbying power of the tech giants whose influence it is trying to lessen, and the challenge of reaching agreement with all member states. The plans for federated cloud infrastructures and cooperative data spaces seem vague and fanciful. The strategy seems to understate the difficulty of simultaneously reaping all the benefits of AI while protecting privacy and preventing discrimination.

That said, the commission's work here is well intentioned and as a bloc the EU does have the economic clout to make a difference.

Sponsored: Detecting cyber attacks as a small to medium business

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The European Commission digital strategy wants to, er, take back control of citizens' data - The Register

Executive Summary

Unwanted job changes are a fact of life, albeit a difficult one. Staying attuned to the warning signs and planning what-if scenarios in case youre let go will enable you to remain more flexible, resilient, and in control of your career destiny. The author recommends four steps to take if you think your job might be at risk: 1) Cultivate a broad network.When you take the time to make and maintain relationships before youre in a career crisis, you have the opportunity to show people how passionate you are about what you do and reveal your capabilities from a place of job stability. 2) Seek advice. Assemble a personal board of directors who can help you evaluate your career options. 3) Conduct a financial wellness check. This will give you a clear understanding of how much money you will need to support yourself through a transition period. 4) Update your branding by revamping your resume and LinkedIn profile.

Your job may be in jeopardy for a variety of reasons some under your control, others not. Regardless, its critical to recognize the signs that things are going wrong before its too late. Being aware of the key red flags will ensure you arent caught off guard and give you the chance to both navigate the situation and be prepared if the worst does happen.

The indignity of being let go is, of course, difficult. However, when I talk to executive coaching clients who have been recently laid off, I find that what hits them harder than anything else is the lack of control they feel over this critical career decision. If your organization is downsizing or you sense your job may be at risk, the sooner you can claim agency over some part of the process, the better youll feel and the faster youll be able to transition to a new company. The question is: If you do find yourself in this situation, will you be able to take the proactive steps needed to engage in an effective job search despite the stress and challenges inherent in being laid off or fired?

Here are the suggestions I made to a client lets call her Jillian when she learned that her position was being eliminated due to a merger.

The single biggest mistake my laid-off clients have made is failing to cultivate their network while they still employed. As a result, they have had to painstakingly reinvigorate those connections while under pressure to find new jobs suboptimal timing, to say the least. Fortunately for Jillian, she had maintained a strong network, finding time in her schedule to reconnect with people she hadnt seen in a while, rather than letting those relationships languish.

To understand what skills will be required three, four, and five years from now in your industry, its imperative to build a network both inside and outside your organization, which will help you gain visibility into areas to which you might otherwise not be exposed. Tap professional organizations, mentoring circles, and conferences, all of which offer the opportunity to meet new people and stretch your thinking.Marketing strategistDorie Clarkexplains that because traditional linear career paths have become much less common, its important to take a detective-like approach, investigating and vetting opportunities.

When you build your network before youre in crisis, you can show people how passionate you are about what you do and reveal your capabilities from a place of job stability. You might also learn about skills you will eventually need to future-proof your career. If you make a good impression and nurture those relationships, youll be top of mind when your connections (or others they know) need your service.

When yourein a vulnerable position, with your job at risk, clear thinking tends to go out the window. What you need more than ever is the support of people who can provide solid, trustworthy advice about your career options. This is where that broad network you cultivated can come in handy. From it, you can assemble a smallerpersonal board of directors to advise you. Askyourself what your professional goals are now and what information and help youll need to reach those goals.

For example, Jillian was hoping to leverage her 20 years of experience in biopharmaceutical sales and marketing as well as her expertise in launch planning, product strategy, and commercial leadership to springboard into a chief commercial officer role, preferably in the field of gene therapy. I advised her to talk to her contactsbefore applying for open positions, so that she could broaden her understanding of the critical business issues facing startup biotechs, identify potential gaps in her skill set, and boost her brand before the official job search began. She identifiedpeople who could tell her about becoming a chief commercial officer and offer insights on the unique challenges of gene therapy. She also found someone who could provide emotional support to counter those inevitable moments of self-doubt or decreased motivation during her potentially lengthy job search.

If you think youre getting laid off, its wise to safeguard some cash in an emergency fund, ideally a money market account. You should have enough to cover more than six months of expenses because it can take that long to find a new job, especially at the executive level. If you are married, find out how to get health coverage under your spouses plan in the event that your company doesnt cover the costs of COBRA payments.

Next, determine your baseline budget the minimum amount of money you need to cover your basic costs, such as food, housing, utilities, and debt payments. You can also check the website of your state unemployment insurance agency to get an idea of what your weekly benefits will be and apply for them as soon as possible. When Jillian did this, she discovered that it helped her figure out how much more money she would need from other sources, such as savings, for necessities and how many nonessential costs she would need to cut until she landed a new position.

You might also consider meeting with a financial adviser to map out how you will support yourself through a transition period.

Last but not least, if you expect to be out of a job soon, you should immediatelyrevamp your resume and LinkedIn profileto reflect your latest roles, responsibilities, achievements, and new career ambitions. I advise all my clients to keep a weekly list of accomplishments, and Jillian had followed through, so she was able to easily update her social media presence and avoid scrambling when a recruiter or hiring manager requested her resume.

Unwanted job changes are a fact of life, albeit a difficult one. Staying attuned to the warning signs and planning what-if scenarios in case youre let go will enable you to remain more flexible, resilient, and in control of your career destiny.

Read more:
What to Do If You Think Your Job Is at Risk - Harvard Business Review

Last year was a tough year for United Airlines passengers flying in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport. And part of the blame for delays on the ground and in the skies is due to record numbers of people traveling.

The airline was ranked third worst in on-time performance in 2019 and held four records in December for the longest delays for domestic and international flights that sat on the tarmac at Newark for over three hours, according to U.S. Department of Transportation Statistics.

Travelers who fly Frontier and JetBlue experienced the lowest on-time performance in the nation. They were ranked first and second worst last year. Newark Airport is one of Uniteds hubs.

By comparison, Delta Airlines had the second best record with 83.5% of its flights arriving on-time last year. Delta flies from Newark and Philadelphia airports.

The top spot went to Hawaiian Airlines with an 87.6%. on-time record, according to the USDOT.

A flight is considered on time if it arrives or departs within 14 minutes, 59 seconds of its scheduled time, said a USDOT spokesman.

The record passenger traffic levels at the three metro area airports that Port Authority officials cited as a positive were cited by United officials for some of the delays. United also transported record numbers of passengers, said Charles Hobart, a United spokesman.

In 2019, we flew the most revenue passengers in our history more than 163 million customers, a 2.7% year-over-year increase, he said. We set a record for the most mainline departures more than 800,000 departures, an increase of 11,000 year-over-year.

Uniteds on-time performance also takes a hit from the weather.

United is disproportionately impacted by severe weather when compared to our competitors, based on the geographic location and size of our busiest hubs particularly Newark, Hobart said. We are seeing worsening weather...2019 was the worst year in our companys history in terms (of) weather/air traffic control delay rates.

The silver lining is that the airline was number one in on-time departures at four of our seven hubs, he said. The airline has launched new tools and initiatives to better assist and inform customers when disruptions occur, Hobart said.

In December, the USDOT found that United had some of the longest delays on the tarmac lasting more than three hours for one domestic flight and three international flights from Newark. A flight to San Diego was delayed four hours and 7 minutes on Dec. 18. A United flight to Milan topped that, waiting on the ground for five hours and 32 minutes on Dec. 18.

All of those flights were delayed due to air traffic control holds due to weather, Hobart said.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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United airlines broke 4 records in Newark last year, and they werent good ones - NJ.com

Yemens Houthi rebels have blocked half of the United Nations aid delivery programs in the war-torn country a strong-arm tactic to force the agency to give them greater control over the massive humanitarian campaign, along with a cut of billions of dollars in foreign assistance, according to aid officials and internal documents obtained by The Associated Press.

The rebel group has made granting access to areas under their control contingent on a flurry of conditions that aid agencies reject, in part because it would give the Houthis greater sway over who receives aid, documents and interviews show.

The Houthis obstruction has hindered several programs that feed the near-starving population and help those displaced by the nearly six-year civil war, a senior U.N. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the situation.

Over 2 million beneficiaries are directly affected, the official said.

The Houthis have been pushing back against U.N. efforts to tighten monitoring of some $370 million a year that its agencies already give to government institutions controlled mostly by the rebel group, documents show. That money is supposed to pay salaries and other administration costs, but more than a third of the money spent last year wasnt audited, according to an internal document leaked to the AP.

The U.N. has largely kept quiet in public about the pressure, but behind the scenes the agency and international donors are digging in against the Houthi demands. The AP spoke to seven workers and officials from U.N. and independent agencies about the situation. All spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. The AP also saw dozens of documents, including emails of aid officials.

In October, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, Lise Grande, sent a letter to the Houthi-appointed prime minister complaining about a long list of demands.

The overwhelming majority of them impede or delay delivery of aid and many violate humanitarian principles, she said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the AP.

For months, the Houthis demanded a 2 percent cut from the entire aid budget be given to them, a condition the U.N. and donors rejected. In an email, a spokesperson for the U.S. Agency for International Development said Houthi attempts to implement a tax on humanitarian assistance are unacceptable and directly contradict international humanitarian principles. The United States donated $686 million to Yemen in 2019, according to USAID.

Last week, the Houthis appeared to back off the 2 percent demand, but continue to press for other concessions, according to aid officials.

During a meeting in Brussels last Thursday, aid agencies and international donors threatened to reduce aid if Houthis continue to impose restrictions on U.N. operations in Yemen.

The situation has reached a breaking point, they said in a statement.

At least one agency, the World Food Program, is currently considering cutting back the monthly food aid it delivers to 12 million Yemenis every other month, a U.N. official said. Its unfortunate that people will suffer but this is on the Houthis, the official said. They cant use people as hostages for too long.

The Houthis demands have stoked longtime concerns among aid agencies over the rebels diverting of humanitarian funds and supplies into their own or their supporters pockets or toward their war effort.

Delivering aid in a war zone has always posed a problem for U.N agencies. But officials said the situation in Yemen has been especially challenging.

The Houthi have withheld visas and permissions for equipment and supplies and refused to grant clearances for U.N. missions to move through rebel-controlled areas. Aid workers said agency leaders past willingness to concede to some of the rebels demands emboldened the Houthi leaders to push for more.

Nearly 300,000 pregnant and nursing mothers and children under age 5 havent received nutrition supplements for more than six months because the Houthis held beneficiaries hostage to the 2 percent demand, another U.N. official said.

In another example, Houthi authorities for months delayed permission to distribute 2,000 tons of food enough to feed 160,000 people in the district of Aslam, where the AP previously found starving villagers reduced to eating boiled leaves. When approval came in November, the food had spoiled beyond the point of salvage, another aid official said.

Houthi leaders have remained defiant in the face of U.N. pushback.

Yemen will survive if agencies suspend aid, Abdul-Mohsen Tawoos, secretary-general of the Houthi agency coordinating international aid, told European donors during a Jan 20 Skype call. Minutes of the call were obtained by the AP.

He said the Houthis wanted to reach an agreement with the U.N. and its donors, but wont be bullied.

Tawoos accused Grande, the top U.N. official in Yemen, of sending false reports about Houthis restricting the movement of U.N. humanitarian operations. Houthi leaders have threatened to expel her from the country.

The U.N.s massive aid program, totaling $8.35 billion dollars since 2015, is vital to keeping many Yemenis alive. The U.N. calls the situation in Yemen the worlds worst humanitarian crisis.

Ten million people in the country are on the brink of famine and 80 percent of the population of 29 million in need of aid, according to the U.N.

More than 3 million people have been displaced, cholera epidemics have killed hundreds and at least 2.2 million children under 5 suffer from severe malnutrition, the agency said.

The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels control the capital, Sanaa, and much of the countrys north, where most of the population lives and the need for aid is greatest. They are at war with a U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition fighting on behalf of the internationally recognized government.

With the economy in free fall, the U.N. aid effort is a major source of foreign currency into the country.

The U.N received around $3 billion in 2019 in international donations for its campaign, short of its $4.2 billion goal.

The Houthi demand for 2 percent of that budget would funnel $60-$80 million into the coffers of their aid-coordination agency, the Supreme Council for Management and Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and International Cooperation, known as SCMCHA.

Qassim Hussein al-Houthi, the head of the international agencies department in theHouthi presidency, said the money was necessary for SCMCHA s operating expenses.

It carries heavy financial burden. Its in charge of facilitating, distributing, security and organizing the work of the agencies, he said.

Al-Houthi argued that its the U.N. agencies who spend a much larger percentage of their budgets on administration without real oversight. He said the U.N. aid delivery programs blocked by the Houthis are not a priority for the Yemen people.

Harassment, intimidation and suspected embezzling of funds by Houthis have been going on for years, aid workers said, and have gotten worse since the rebels created their aid coordination agency in early 2018. Since then, Houthi-led security agencies have arrested local workers, blocked aid missions or held up supplies, according to internal emails and documents seen by the AP.

Not even a simple project can be carried out in northern Yemen without the consent and supervision of this body, said a Yemeni chief of a local aid organization.

The U.N. rarely pushed back, calculating that aid had to be delivered at any cost.

U.N. agencies continued to put hundreds of millions of dollars into Houthi accounts for capacity building, a common practice in humanitarian programs to ensure government bodies function.

Some of the money went to salaries for doctors, teachers and other vital employees who have otherwise gone without pay amid the war. Millions more went to the Houthi aid agency for administrative costs and salaries.

Aid workers privately expressed concerns about the funds from U.N. aid agencies being diverted into the coffers of Houthi leaders or their supporters.

UNICEF said in a statement that its funds were strictly monitored and no instances of diversions were found. The World Health Organization said all its spending was subject to internal and external audit, as well as frequent internal reviews on multiple levels. WHO also said it found no evidence that its funds have been diverted.

Still, last summer, the U.N. requested all agencies report how much they were giving in direct cash transfers. In 2019, the total reached $370 million, around 10 percent of the entire international aid budget for Yemen, according to a U.N. spreadsheet. Around $133 million was marked in the spreadsheet as not audited.

Some officials in the Houthi aid body, SCMCHA, appear to be receiving multiple salaries, the data shows. For a time, three U.N. agencies were each giving salaries to the bodys president, his deputy and general managers. Each of the officials received a total of $10,000 a month from the agencies, the spreadsheet shows.

The U.N. refugee agency also gave SCMCHA $1 million every three months for office rental and administrative costs, while the U.N. migration agency gave the office another $200,000 for furniture and fiber optics.

U.N. officials said Grande was genuinely shocked when she learned about the arrangements.

She had no idea about the scale of it, said one senior U.N. official. Her reaction after that was, we have to fix the situation.

Over the past year, U.N. agencies, lead by Grande, began pushing back against Houthi demands.

First, the World Food Program suspended aid for a couple of months in some areas around Sanaa and demanded biometric registering of beneficiaries to ensure deliveries go to those truly in need. The Houthis initially agreed but later refused to follow through with the biometric registering.

The U.N. then moved to prevent double-paying of salaries, and its agencies tightened auditing of the funds it provided.

UNICEF, for example, said it decided in November to re-assess all 243 partners it works with, including government ones, and cut down dramatically on funds put into Houthi coffers. The agency said it would start paying suppliers and contractors directly.

The moves by the U.N. have prompted the Houthis to launch a media campaign denouncing the humanitarian agency as corrupt and wasteful.

Further escalation came after the Houthi aid body in November was put under the leadership of the Houthi presidents chief of staff, making it more powerful, several aid officials said.

An already difficult environment to work in became extremely suffocating with threats (and) directives, one of the officials said.

SCMCHAs new leadership imposed more than 200 new directives on humanitarian agencies, six aid officials told the AP.

Some directives such as requiring agencies to disclose the identities of aid recipients and involving Houthi authorities in assessments of need would give the rebels even greater power to steer aid to their supporters, aid workers fear.

Other demands seemed aimed at monitoring and intimidating, such as ordering local Yemeni staffers to get Houthi permission to take U.N. training courses abroad and then to report back the content of those workshops. Houthis officials also require the segregation of women and men in U.N.-run programs in some areas.

The Houthis also demanded a new agreement giving them a hand in assigning U.N. contracts with suppliers and picking local partners to implement programs, according to a draft of their proposal seen by the AP. It also gives them the right to screen U.N. hires in Yemen and take over the budget of monitoring programs.

Aid agencies have refused to sign the agreement.

Several humanitarian workers said the Houthis are also trying to force the U.N. to work with NGOs they favor, particularly an organization known as Bonyan, which is filled with Houthi affiliates. The brother of Houthi leader Abdel Malek al Houthi, Ibrahim al-Houthi, was a board member until his death last summer. Houthi leaders stopped the U.N. agencies from delivering food in Yemens Hodeida province, unless they used Bonyan for the distribution.

Despite the disputes between the Houthis and the U.N, aid officials continue to appeal to international donors for money to address the crisis in Yemen.

Over the summer, Grande pleaded to donor countries for more funds to meet the $4.2 billion goal.

When money doesnt come, people die, she said.

But one international aid official said more money isnt the issue.

I dont want more funds. I want the space to spend what I have, he said.

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UN balks as Yemen rebels try to control flow of aid - The Japan Times