US Sanctions Hindering Syria’s Coronavirus Response: Bashar Al-Ja'afari
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Syria’s permanent representative to the United Nations blasted US sanctions against the Arab country, saying that the bans have hampered the government’s efforts to rein in the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
“Unilateral coercive economic measures hinder Syria’s ability to meet the basic needs of its people and confront the epidemic of the novel Coronavirus,” Bashar al-Ja'afari said on Sunday, according to SANA news agency.
“Syria mobilized all of its available human, medical and nutritional resources to the benefit of all Syrians wherever they are to confront the Covid-19 pandemic, but those capabilities will continue to be negatively affected by unilateral coercive measures,” he added.
The senior diplomat said the sanctions continue to weaken the capacity of the public and private health sector in Syria by hampering the import of medicines and medical supplies as these measures affect the Syrian banking sector, especially with regard to foreign bank transfers, as well as its impact on the capacity of the main economic sectors to carry out their tasks in the fields of energy, banking, industry, transport, communications, and internal and external trade
Al-Jaafari refuted the recent American allegations about the exemptions and exceptions by the US government that allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and business transactions with Syria to provide medical and food supplies.
“The US exemptions depend on political considerations and the aid only reaches areas under the control of terrorist groups,” he clarified.
