America announces the end of the sanctions freeze on the Syrian regime

ARK News... The US Treasury Department, on Tuesday, announced the end of the freeze on sanctions against the Syrian regime, which it temporarily suspended after the devastating earthquake that struck northern Syria last February.

The ministry warned foreign individuals and companies not to provide direct support to the regime's government without obtaining permission from the US Treasury Department, or else they risk being subjected to sanctions.

“The United States affirms its commitment to expanding humanitarian access for Syrians in need, in light of the humanitarian situation in Syria, which has never been worse than it is today, with more than 15.3 million people in need of assistance,” said Samuel Warburg, regional spokesperson for the US State Department.

It added, “Starting today (August 8, 2023), General License No. 23 related to earthquake relief efforts in Syria expires, which authorizes all transactions related to these efforts, which are usually prevented by our sanctions on Syria. The United States has made it clear that it does not intend to renew this license.

It continued, "With the end of General License 23, foreign individuals and companies are no longer able to provide direct support to the Syrian regime in earthquake relief efforts, except with a specific permit from the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury (OFAC), but they can still provide assistance under general licenses." of the United Nations and some other international organizations and non-governmental organizations.

The United States confirms that it is not reducing its authorizations to provide humanitarian assistance in Syria. General License No. 23 supplements existing general authorizations that authorize the United Nations, nongovernmental organizations, and the US government to provide a broad range of humanitarian activities in Syria, including disaster relief efforts. and human recovery.

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