Dutch calls for lifting the western sanctions imposed on Syria

Former Dutch ambassador to Syria Koos Van Dam has demanded lifting the Western sanctions imposed on Syria.

During a program on Dutch radio yesterday evening, in partnership with Carla Junkers, Director of the Humanitarian Aid Department at the Dutch Red Cross, Van Dam made an appeal to speed up easing and lifting the sanctions on Syria, to show flexibility in this regard and to put the matter up for discussion in the Dutch Parliament urgently.

” These sanctions only increase people’s suffering. There are no justifications for them and they are a deadly tool,” he stressed, pointing out that the only reason that pushes the Europeans to impose sanctions is their feeling that they can change the situation in Syria, and this will not happen.

Van Dam went on to say “I know that politicians do not want this, but these sanctions must be eased for the sake of the Syrian people and without thinking about any party benefiting from the existence of these sanctions. He called for opening transactions in the banking sector so that it is possible to send money to Syria.

Van Dam pointed out that “There is an urgent need for oil in order to operate power plants to supply hospitals with electricity, but oil is included in the sanctions list. There is also a need for building materials that are also included in the sanctions list,” Van Dam clarified, adding that this is double standards, as they view the potato knife as a A killer tool at the same time.

Van Dam reminded that Syria, which has been suffering from war for 12 years, has now been subjected to a catastrophic earthquake, which makes the reconstruction process take a long time.

For her part, Carla Junkers, Director of the Humanitarian Aid Department at the Dutch Red Cross, called for easing the sanctions on Syria, stressing that the issue of providing humanitarian aid is not possible in the light of the imposition of these sanctions.

“Some relief materials take a long time to reach Syria because companies are afraid to send anything, and they fear the consequences of doing so, especially in the light of these sanctions,” she said, pointing out that the partners of the Cross told her that they are having problems in sending this aid to Syria.

Junkerd also said “we need oil, especially for hospitals to operate,” pointing out that the Red Cross is now busy securing drinking water for Syria.

Hamda Mustafa