Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Hegseth in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart: Washington will continue to defend its interests vigorously
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: The United States is concerned about China's activities in the South China Sea
Occupied Palestine: Israeli occupation forces demolishe residential homes east of Khan Younis city in the southern Gaza Strip
Al Mayadeen correspondent: An Israeli drone attacked the main road in the town of Harouf, South Lebanon.
Lebanese President: Israeli aggression on Blida took place in aftermath of meeting of ceasefire monitoring committee.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun asks Commander of Lebanese Army to confront any Israeli incursion into liberated Lebanese territory in the South.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Israeli aircraft launch series of strikes on area of Jarmaq, South Lebanon.
Reuters: Afghanistan and Pakistan agree to restart peace talks in Istanbul.
Al-Mayadeen's correspondent in southern Lebanon: Israeli occupation forces withdraw from the Blida municipality building two hours after occupying it, and the Lebanese army enters
Pakistani army: 6 soldiers and 7 militants killed in clash near the Afghan border

ICRC insists on solid sanctions exemptions in quake-hit Syria: Chief

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 22 Feb 2023 09:39
3 Min Read

The ICRC chief says the committee encouraged sanctions exemptions in Syria in multilateral formats, including the UN Security Council.

  • x
  • Robert Mardini, director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) attends an interview with Reuters on the situation in Ukraine, in Geneva, Switzerland March 29, 2022. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
    ICRC Director-General Robert Mardini attends an interview with Reuters on the situation in Ukraine, in Geneva, March 29, 2022 (Reuters)

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will continue to push for solid exemptions to make sure that the humanitarian response is not delayed in Syria, Director-General Robert Mardini told Sputnik.

"Sanction is always a political decision. From our side at ICRC we always insist to ensure that there are humanitarian exemptions when sanctions are decided among states," Mardini stressed on the sidelines of the 3rd Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum.

The Director-General considered that it is not the committee's role "to say whether sanctions are justified or not" but insisted that the ICRC "will continue to insist on the need to have very solid exemptions in any sanction regime, including the one in Syria to ensure that humanitarian action is not delayed, is not hindered, and there are no obstacles for any imports that would be critical to the survival of [the] civilian population."

Mardini indicated that the ICRC encouraged such exemptions in multilateral formats, including the UN Security Council.

"We advocate in the multilateral space for humanitarian exemptions in sanction regimes and resolutions adopted by the security council at the end of last year to ensure a humanitarian exemption carved out across sanctioned regime is something that was really encouraged by the ICRC behind the scenes," he explained.

He continued, "It's a permanent effort that we do with all countries who decide on sanctions to ensure that sanctions should not hinder or delay the provision of impartial humanitarian work and action."

Related News

UN expresses concern over massacres, human rights violations in Syria

Russia resumes flights to Hmeimim Air Base in Syria

Mardini highlighted that Syria was already ICRC’s third largest operation before the earthquake with a budget of 170 million Swiss Franks ($183 million), adding, "Now, we decided in this initial phase to revise our appeal. That has reached now 200 million for Syria."

"As our operation unfolds, we will be adjusting, depending on our capacity to implement and cover the needs," the ICRC Director-General pointed out, reiterating that "it's a massive challenge and, the clock is ticking to avoid the next epidemic."

Read more: UN admits: 'We have failed the people in northwest Syria'

Earlier this month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed that sanctions should not interfere with humanitarian assistance to the Syrians affected by the earthquakes and aftershocks that struck the country.

It is noteworthy that on February 9, the US Treasury Department issued a general license, which authorized for 180 days all transactions related to earthquake relief that would be otherwise prohibited due to unilateral sanctions. However, Syria has dismissed the US sanctions waiver as "misleading".

"While the sanctions waiver is proclaimed to allow the flow of humanitarian aid, the realities on the ground prove the opposite,” the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on February 11.

Despite the US Treasury announcement, only minimal Western aid has reached the quake-hit country.

Read more: WFP chief says militants in northwest Syria blocking access to area

  • Syria
  • Robert Mardini
  • Syria earthquake
  • ICRC

Most Read

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025
Hi-tech holocaust: Microsoft’s role in Gaza genocide

Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed

  • Technology
  • 28 Oct 2025
What Marr evidently didn't seem to understand was that Hedges isn't saying that Western journalists manipulate the truth, but that they systematically amplify Israeli narratives they know are false. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Western journalists know they have a case to answer for their betrayal of Gaza, and it frightens them

  • Opinion
  • 24 Oct 2025
Sheikh Naim Qassem speaks during an interview with Al-Manar TV, October 26, 2025 (Screenshot)

Hezbollah ready to face 'Israel' in case of war: Sheikh Naim Qassem

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
ap
Politics

Hamas calls on int’l community to act against Israeli settlement plan

In this Nov. 9, 2017, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, right, chats with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (AP)
Economy

Ex-US diplomat says Trump-Xi deal 'tactical retreat', not lasting deal

An unarmed Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, during a test in 2002. (US Air Force)
Politics

JD Vance defends Trump's nuclear test plan as 'crucial for security'

Ultra-Orthodox Jews attend the "million man" protest against military conscription, in occupied al-Quds, October 30, 2025 (AFP)
Politics

Haredi mass rally in al-Quds exposes Zionist regime's growing crisis

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS