Western sanctions, support for terrorists behind humanitarian crisis in Syria: Mekdad

Syria’s Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad says unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States and its Western allies, together with their support for Takfiri terrorist groups, have thrown the Syrian nation into humanitarian suffering.

The top Syrian diplomat made the remarks during a meeting with representatives of a number of UN agencies and international humanitarian organizations in Syria, during which he explained in detail the severe humanitarian hardships faced by the Syrian people.

Mekdad pointed to the lack of funding for early recovery projects in the war-ravaged country, emphasizing that the harsh living conditions that Syrians are enduring are due to unilateral sanctions and coercive measures that certain Western countries have slapped against Syria, along with the support that these states offer to extremist militants.

Sanctions aimed at impoverishing countries, keeping them under control: Syrian FM

The Syrian foreign minister slams Western sanctions.

Syria has been targeted by US-led sanctions since 1979. Washington and its Western allies particularly tightened their economic sanctions and restrictions on Damascus after 2011, when the Arab country found itself in the grip of rampant foreign-backed militancy and terrorism.

The sanctions intensified even further with the passing of the Caesar Act in 2019, which targeted any individual and business that participated either directly or indirectly in Syria’s reconstruction efforts.

Elsewhere in his remarks on Thursday, the Syrian foreign minister denounced Turkey and its allied militants for repeatedly cutting off drinking water in the northeastern province of Hasakah, stating that the move deprives locals of their basic needs.

Mekdad called upon international humanitarian organizations to voice their opposition to the practice and hold to account those responsible for the inhumane behavior.

When touching upon the issue of Syrian refugees, he briefed on the Damascus government's efforts to facilitate their safe and dignified return.

Nearly six million Syrians, registered by the UN, fled the conflict that began in 2011, most settling in neighboring countries like Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan.

In recent years, however, Syrian government forces, backed by Russia and Iran, have managed to win back control of almost all regions from terrorist groups.

With the restoration of peace in the war-torn Arab country, many Syrians have been returning to their homeland, with the government advancing reconstruction projects.

However, Western media, which have long been fanning the flames of the Syrian conflict, have claimed that the refugees are at risk of being detained and tortured upon their return to Syria.

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad said in late June that the issue of the refugees’ return should be pursued within a humanitarian and moral framework rather than being politicized.

Speaking in a meeting with Martin Griffiths, the UN’s undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, Assad said that the safe return of the refugees is the prime goal of the Damascus government. The Syrian state institutions have taken measures to facilitate the process, he added. 

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