The Council of the European Union Friday announced the extension of the duration of humanitarian exemption for Syria for further six months until 24 February 2024.
The exemption aims to continue responding in a timely manner to the urgency of the humanitarian crisis in Syria, and to keep facilitating the rapid delivery of aid, said the Council in a statement.
Last February, the Council had introduced an additional humanitarian exemption into the sanctions regime in view of the situation in Syria to facilitate the speedy delivery of humanitarian assistance, following the devastating earthquake that hit Turkiye and Syria.
The exemption from the asset freeze and from the related prohibition on making funds and economic resources available to listed individuals and entities aims to further facilitate the operations of international organisations and certain defined categories of actors involved in humanitarian activities in Syria, it noted.
The EU sanctions in place, regarding Syria since 2011, target the “repressive Assad regime and its supporters, as well as sectors of the economy from which the regime profits,” said the Council.
The sanctions do not stand in the way of the export of food, medicines, or medical equipment to Syria, it clarified.
The Council voiced its “deep concern” about the situation in Syria, saying the conflict is far from over and remains a source of suffering for the civilian population, and instability for the country and the region.
Source: Kuwait News Agency