The European Council announced tonight the temporary lifting of sanctions it imposed on Syria in 2011. The measure comes a full two weeks after the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake. The combined death toll for Turkey and Syria is now heading for 50,000.
“In view of the gravity of the humanitarian crisis in Syria exacerbated by the earthquake, the Council decided today to adopt an additional humanitarian amendment to further facilitate the speedy delivery of humanitarian assistance,” the European Council said in a statement:
The amendment applies for a period of six months. It means that humanitarian organisations will no longer need to seek prior permission from EU member states to transport '“goods and services intended for humanitarian purposes to listed persons and entities.”
The European Council gives a brief explanation of its imposition of sanctions below:
“The EU’s sanctions regime was introduced in 2011 in response to the violent repression of the Syrian population by the Syrian regime and those linked to it and includes 291 persons targeted by both an assets freeze and a travel ban, and 70 entities subject to an assets freeze.”
The US lifted its sanctions on aid deliveries into Syria on February 10, four days after the earthquake and several aftershocks rocked southern Turkey and northern Syria.
On a Substack post on the topic of sanctions on Feb 7, I pledged all donations on the ‘buy me a coffee’ app to aid efforts in Aleppo.
A total of €85 came in for Mary’s Meals, which is partnered with local charity Dorcas in operation in Aleppo.
You can read more about Dorcas below in a letter of thanks to you, from Mary’s Meals Executive Director Patricia Friel. At Christmas I decided that once there was enough in the Substack coffee pot to feed fifty children for a year, it would go to Mary’s Meals. The charity can feed a child for an entire year through its schools programme for just €22.
The Irish authorities and media are doing a wonderful job of ignoring this Substack and so, not to be outdone, this way we can ensure good comes of it.
Normal coffee service to resume henceforth. Thank you all x
https://www.marysmeals.ie/