Al-Miqdad: American sanctions prevent help reaching from Syria

Damascus (ST): Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Dr. Faisal Al-Miqdad, affirmed that the catastrophe of the earthquake that struck Syria is great, and what has increased the tragedy  is the difficult circumstances that the country has been going through for the past 12 years, as it is fighting terrorism and its supporters, indicating that the American sanctions prevent everything from Syria, although humanitarian aid is not subject to penalties in accordance with international laws.

Al-Miqdad said in an interview with Al-Mayadeen channel last tonight: Since the first moments of the devastating earthquake at dawn yesterday, the Syrian state has mobilized all its capabilities, as President Bashar Al-Assad chaired an emergency meeting of the cabinet, during which an emergency action plan was drawn up at the national level, led by a central operations room operating around the clock, in addition to field teams on the ground.

Al-Miqdad indicated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has appealed to the member states of the United Nations, the General Secretariat of the Organization, its relevant agencies and funds, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other humanitarian action partners from international, governmental and non-governmental organizations, to extend a helping hand and support Syria’s efforts to confront the humanitarian catastrophe, as many brotherly and friendly countries responded. The planes arrived hours later at the airports of Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia, and the aid carried by these planes was sent to the affected areas to help those affected by the earthquake.

Al-Miqdad said that what exacerbated the tragedy and catastrophe was the sanctions imposed by the United States and Western countries on Syria, reiterating his appeal to all peoples and countries of the world to provide the required assistance to the Syrian people to confront this humanitarian catastrophe, and they welcomed everything that could be provided in this field, as there are a large number of victims.

Al-Miqdad stressed that the decisions of the Security Council are clear, as humanitarian aid is not subject to any sanctions, and everything that helps to confront such disasters is permissible, indicating that Security Council Resolution No. 2672, which was adopted on the ninth of last month, provides an opportunity for the delivery of humanitarian aid regardless of any sanctions. There is a special paragraph in it that says that the arrival of humanitarian aid to countries that are exposed to humanitarian disasters and terrorist attacks, as is the case in Syria, is permitted.

Al-Miqdad added: When the Americans claim that they did not impose sanctions on humanitarian aid, we tell them that your sanctions prevent everything from Syria, including the purchase of medicines, just as Washington and its Western allies give orders to some countries, and threaten them with sanctions if they deal with Syria or any banks that deal with Syria.

Al-Miqdad expressed his thanks to the countries and organizations that provided aid and declared their solidarity with Syria and its people and their condolences for the victims of the devastating earthquake and expressed their readiness to provide assistance to the Syrian people in these difficult and disastrous circumstances.

K.Q.