EU eases Syria sanctions to speed up aid, 16 days into the quake
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The measure will reportedly last for six months and was allegedly taken "in view of the gravity of the humanitarian crisis in Syria exacerbated by the earthquake."
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An aerial view showing residents searching for victims and survivors amid the rubble of collapsed buildings in Syria's northwestern Idlib, Feb. 6, 2022 (AFP)
The European Union announced Thursday that it is temporarily lifting sanctions against Syria in order to expedite humanitarian deliveries to the country two weeks after a deadly earthquake.
Humanitarian organizations will no longer need to obtain approval from EU member state governments before transferring goods and services to sanctioned entities in Syria, as per a statement issued by the European Council, which represents the bloc's members.
The measure will reportedly last for six months and was taken "in view of the gravity of the humanitarian crisis in Syria exacerbated by the earthquake."
A massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake on February 6 killed over 43,000 people in Turkey and over 5,000 people in Syria.
The move means "the EU has waived the need for humanitarian organizations to seek prior permission from EU member states' national competent authorities to make transfers or provide goods and services intended for humanitarian purposes to listed persons and entities," the statement read.
As the catastrophe unfolds in front of the whole world's eyes in #Syria, one can't help but notice how the #West deliberately chose not to help the catastrophe-stricken country. pic.twitter.com/f5cOYM0JAB
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) February 7, 2023
It is worth noting that on February 10, the US Treasury Department announced a temporary lifting of some Syria-related sanctions following calls from the Syrian state and the international community in the aftermath of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey.
In a statement, the Department indicated that the move "authorizes for 180 days all transactions related to earthquake relief that would be otherwise prohibited by the Syrian Sanctions Regulations," which Syria dubbed "misleading".
This came as the West generally mobilized rapidly to send aid and rescue workers to Turkey but excluded Syria and neglected it, while people suffocated and took their last breath under the rubble.
Read next: Western selective humanitarianism, Syria earthquake falls on deaf ears
