Syrian Red Crescent Calls on West to Lift Sanctions


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Syrian Red Crescent is calling on Western countries to lift sanctions on the Arab country to facilitate relief efforts after devastating earthquakes.

“Lift the economic sanctions imposed on Syria and the Syrian people,” said Khaled Hboubati, president of the Syrian Red Crescent, Al Jazeera reported.

“Open the way for us. We are ready to provide assistance. We are ready to provide aid through the crossline and to send aid convoys to Idlib,” he told reporters.

“I call on the United Nations, and the countries on the European Union and the USAID Program to support,” he added.

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross says it has sent surgical material, enough to treat 100 people, to a public hospital in Aleppo, Syria.

“More of that and medical equipment is on its way to Aleppo, Latakia and Tartous, along with thousands of canned foods enough for tens of thousands of people, blankets and mattresses, and other essential items,” the ICRC said in a statement.

The Syrian government remains under heavy sanctions aimed at isolating the country economically since 2011.