The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed over 40,000 people and displaced millions in Turkey and Syria has renewed conversations about the U.S.- and European Union sanctions on Syria and left many wondering, including myself: to what end?
The harm these sanctions cause to ordinary Syrians has galvanized international demand to lift them in the wake of the earthquake, including by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, one of the leading humanitarian organizations in the region. But hard-line critics of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad insist on maintaining any and all punitive measures.
Many analysts worry that the lifting of these sanctions won’t materially change much on the ground, nor do nearly enough.
Last week, the U.S. government announced a 180-day moratorium on sanctions to assist in relief efforts but — even as the sanctions already had exemptions for humanitarian assistance — many analysts worry that the lifting of these sanctions won’t materially change much on the ground, nor do nearly enough. For example, banks and private institutions are unwilling to send money to Syria in the form of much-needed remittances and other financial support out of fear of retribution. Then, there’s the fact that the vast majority of the country’s oil is controlled by the U.S.
There is no doubt that Assad has committed egregious human rights’ violations, but the story is never that simple. We are being myopic and simplistic if we convince ourselves that we can reduce what’s happening in Syria to a hero-villain or righteous-immoral narrative (and there is the question of the extent to which America has moral high ground to stand on). Sanctions are not resulting in the atomization of the Assad regime, they are only hurting and killing ordinary civilians. The only humane response the West can offer right now is to do everything in its power to allow, support and enable the flow of resources to the Syrian people.
“It’s time to put politics aside,” Syria…
Read the full article here
