Syria denounces fresh sanctions on health sector

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Syria condemned the United States for targeting its health sector again, stressing that this calls for an urgent international intervention to put an end to these hostile practices. 

"Syria condemns the US targeting the health sector again by imposing additional restrictions on allowing the sale of [medical] equipment, or providing services, support, or spare parts to a large number of the Syrian public and private hospitals," the Syrian Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry underlined that the claims promoted by Washington regarding there being exceptions for humanitarian purposes were false, as no party was exempted from the sanctions.

Targeting hospitals, which are offering healthcare to millions of Syrians, including the university children's hospital, calls for action from the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the International Committee of the Red Cross to put an end to these practices.

Syria is facing economic hardship due to the unilateral measures taken by the West, as well as the continuation of the United States to occupy Syrian land and plunder its resources, from wheat to oil, among others, at the time that Syrians are suffering to secure the minimum energy resources needed to obtain their basic services.

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had called on the international community to put an end to countries using the pretext of fighting terrorism to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

Syria's state institutions introduced earlier in the month a four-day work week following acute fuel shortages as Syrian oil continues to be looted by US occupation forces, and as Washington's unilateral sanctions against Syria result in a continued decline of oil resources.

It is important to note that oil production has been limited by the fact that several of the oil-producing facilities in Syria remain outside the government's control; under US occupation. Furthermore, oil and petroleum imports have become increasingly difficult due to unilateral sanctions against Syria.