The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday authorized a waiver of sanctions imposed on Syria to allow all transactions related to the shipment of aid for the earthquakes that have devastated part of the north of the country.
The U.S. government has issued a 180-day blanket license authorizing financial institutions to immediately process «all transactions» for earthquake relief, while reaffirming its refusal to allow sanctions to «inhibit assistance needed to save lives in the aftermath of this disaster,» the Treasury said in a statement.
«As international allies and humanitarian partners mobilize to help those affected, I want to make it very clear that U.S. sanctions in Syria will not stand in the way of efforts to save lives of the Syrian people,» Treasury Undersecretary Wally Adeyemo said in the missive.
While the U.S. has stressed that its sanctions on Syria are not aimed at «legitimate humanitarian assistance,» including earthquake disaster relief efforts, this authorization expands the delivery of aid to the Middle Eastern country.
However, sanctions relief alone «cannot reverse the long-standing structural challenges and brutal tactics of the Al Assad regime,» Washington has stressed.
«This general leave reflects the United States’ commitment to support the people of Syria during the ongoing earthquake crisis (…) Our deepest condolences to the people of Turkey and Syria for the tragic loss of life and destruction in the wake of the devastating earthquakes,» the text reads.
Nevertheless, the Treasury Department has announced that it will continue to monitor the situation in Syria and engage with «key stakeholders» in humanitarian and disaster assistance.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
