America’s Claim To Suspend Some Of The Sanctions on Syria.
According to Sputnik, the US Department of Treasury announced that it will suspend sanctions against Syria for a few months in order to allow some deals and measures for relief operations after the deadly earthquake near the border of Syria and Turkey.
The suspension of some US sanctions comes after UN leaders and international aid agencies warned that US sanctions were hampering efforts to deliver aid to earthquake-ravaged Syria.
“Today, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued Syria General Authorization (GL) 23, which authorizes for 180 days all transactions related to earthquake relief in Syria,” the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement. “
Earlier this week, southeastern Turkey was hit by deadly earthquakes that killed more than 21,000 people in Turkey and Syria and injured tens of thousands more.
The U.S. Treasury Department, meanwhile, has claimed that the U.S. government has long imposed several waivers from sanctions in Syria to allow most activities in support of humanitarian aid, including in government-controlled areas, by the United Nations or non-governmental organizations (NGOs). that are involved in the Syrian crisis.
The U.S. Treasury Department also added that the new authorization includes existing sanctions waivers in Syria for non-governmental organizations, international organizations and the U.S. government.
The U.S. Treasury Department said it will continue to monitor the situation in Syria and engage with humanitarian donors and key partners and allies to address emerging challenges they may face in providing services amid relief efforts.
Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that no sanctions should interfere with relief efforts in Syria, as Syria faces the consequences of a devastating earthquake.
Earlier this week, a senior official of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said that sanctions are hampering relief efforts in Syria. “Xavier Castellanos”, the deputy secretary general of the International Red Cross Organization for the coordination of relief operations, also said that the sanctions on Syria increase the costs for everything we do and prevent humanitarian aid and services from being sent to the victims of the Syrian earthquake.