Despite increasing demands from loyalist officials to lift sanctions on the Syrian regime, the European Union has reaffirmed its decision to maintain the sanctions. Some officials have attempted to exploit the damage caused by the recent earthquake in areas under regime control to argue for the lifting of the sanctions.
According to Al-Arabiya, an official source within the European Union stated on Monday that there are no plans to partially or temporarily lift the sanctions imposed on Damascus. The source added that these sanctions do not impact the provision of humanitarian aid in any way.
He pointed out that 10 European countries are ready to contribute to helping Syrians through the European mechanism.
Simultaneously, an official from the German Foreign Ministry confirmed that the European Union’s sanctions on Syria do not extend to humanitarian aid or the heavy machinery used to extract earthquake victims from the rubble.
Following the devastating earthquake that struck Syria over a week ago, the regime has attempted to leverage the disaster for political gain by calling for the lifting of sanctions. However, numerous European and American officials have emphasized that sanctions do not apply to humanitarian aid.
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.
