EU says humanitarian and medical aid allowable even under sanctions
Spokesperson for the EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano has stressed that humanitarian and medical aid are allowed even under sanctions.
In a statement to the Italian Aki News Agency Stano said “in principle, when sanctions are economic and have to do with banning exportation, food and medical aid are exempted and this is applicable to the current situation of coronavirus outbreak.”
“Companies and concerned parties should be aware of this issue,” he added.
ESCWA official calls for urgent regional response to alleviate repercussions of Coronavirus
In a relevant context, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Rola Dashti has called for lifting the unilateral economic coercive measures imposed on several Arab countries so that these countries can confront the coronavirus epidemic and its repercussions.
In a statement on the “Urgent Regional Response to Alleviate the Repercussions of Coronavirus”, Dashti reiterated that the economic coercive measures imposed on some Arab countries should be lifted and the unfair siege imposed on Gaza strip must come to an end, calling for non imposition of restrictions on materials necessary for combating Coronavirus and protecting people’s livelihood.
She said covid 19 is an unprecedented threat that necessitates unprecedented solidarity, thus work should immediately start to eliminate the disease and alleviate its repercussions.
The senior UN official urged Arab governments to establish a regional fund to support Arab countries amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
The fund aims at helping the least developed and most threatened countries and at providing relief in cases of food shortages and health emergencies, according to Dashti.
On Thursday, the permanent representatives of eight UN member states including Syria’s representative Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari demanded lifting the unilateral coercive measures, noting that these sanctions impede confronting the current crisis resulted from Coronvirus outbreak.
Hamda Mustafa