Temporary Exemption Aims to Speed Aid Delivery Amid Devastation in Northwest Syria

The United States has announced a temporary 180-day exemption to its sanctions on Syria to expedite earthquake relief efforts, allowing transactions related to humanitarian aid to flow more freely into the country. This decision comes in the wake of a devastating earthquake that has killed nearly 23,000 people across Syria and Turkey, with the majority of the destruction concentrated in Syria’s already war-ravaged northwest.

The earthquake, which added to the region’s ongoing suffering from the civil war, has left many areas under opposition control, complicating aid efforts. Despite the dire need for assistance, humanitarian shipments have been hindered by a combination of logistical challenges and the Assad government’s control over aid distribution. The regime has insisted on managing all aid shipments, raising concerns about how effectively it will be allocated to opposition-held areas.

The US Treasury’s decision to issue a six-month exemption for earthquake-related transactions aims to reassure financial institutions and aid organizations that they will not face penalties for participating in relief efforts. However, experts caution that this move is unlikely to resolve the deeper issues affecting aid access.

Delaney Simon, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, stated that while the exemption might alleviate concerns among banks and other providers, “there are too many other access issues” in Syria that will continue to impede the free flow of aid. She added, “This license will ease the concerns of the private sector and other actors, but it won’t suddenly open the floodgates for unhindered humanitarian access.”

Syria has been under US sanctions since 1979, when it was designated a state sponsor of terrorism. The restrictions were further tightened during the Iraq War in 2004 and have remained in place throughout the civil war, which began in 2011. These sanctions have severely limited the ability of foreign institutions and aid organizations to provide assistance in Syria, especially in areas outside of government control.