U.N. says it abandons aid delivery after Syria insisted on dangerous route

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Shooting forced the United Nations to abort a delivery of food and polio vaccines to a besieged area of Damascus after the Syrian government insisted it use a dangerous route, a U.N. spokesman said.

Aid workers in Syria have accused authorities of hampering deliveries to rebel-controlled areas and threatening groups with expulsion if they try to avoid bureaucratic obstacles to help people trapped in an almost three-year-old civil war. Syria blames rebel attacks for aid delays.