Syria Aid Shifts to Seeds, Sheep and Recovery, Red Cross Federation Says

GENEVA - As Syria emerges from a decade of war, aid is shifting to smaller projects to help families plant seeds, breed sheep and find ways of making a living while the shattered economy rebuilds, the head of the Red Cross network said Friday.

Jagan Chapagain, secretary-general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said it was time to move beyond the straight humanitarian work of providing food and medicines, though that would continue. "We want to start transitioning toward ... livelihood support," he said in an interview in Geneva, after returning from a trip to Homs and Douma - former rebel strongholds reclaimed by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. Hundreds of thousands have died in the conflict that has driven 11 million people — about half the population — from their homes. Assad's biggest challenge, now that he has regained control of about 70% of the country, is a decimated economy.