Switzerland declared on Thursday an extension of the humanitarian exemption from sanctions imposed on the Syrian regime for an additional six months.
The humanitarian exemption was initiated by Switzerland in response to the earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria in February 2023 and is set to expire on March 10.
On March 3, 2023, the Swiss Federal Council announced a temporary relaxation of certain sanctions on the Syrian regime to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria. This decision followed the issuance of “Syrian General License GL 23” by the US Treasury Department, permitting all earthquake relief-related transactions for 180 days. These transactions were previously prohibited under sanctions regulations imposed on the Syrian regime.
Syrian regime seeks to evade international sanctions
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attempted to leverage the earthquake disaster, which destroyed hundreds of buildings in the northern part of the country, to pursue political gains. He advocated for humanitarian aid to be directed through areas under his control, aiming to gradually loosen the international isolation imposed on him.
The Syrian regime reiterated its call for coordination in aid distribution, but Western countries displayed no willingness to comply with this demand or to engage with Assad anew.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
