UN Special Envoy for Syria Calls for Sanctions Relief and Rebuilding Support
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Salma Hossein - . December 16, 2024
- . Update: December 16, 2024 2:49 pm
On Sunday, Geir Pedersen the United Nations special envoy for Syria asked for the quick removal of Western sanctions on Syria. This happened after President Bashar Assad was ousted.
Syria has faced strict sanctions from the United States, European Union, and other countries because of its violent response by Assad to peaceful protests in 2011. This violence by Assad turned into a civil war. The war has resulted in nearly half a million deaths and displaced about half of the population in Syria.
So the restrictions by the US and the West have made it harder for Syria to rebuild itself. Pedersen expressed hope that ending the sanctions would help Syria rebuild. “We can hopefully see a quick end to the sanctions so we can focus on rebuilding Syria,” he said during a visit to Damascus.
Pedersen met with officials from Syria’s new interim government, which was formed by opposition groups, including Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), an Islamic militant group labeled a terrorist organization by the US. Washington is considering removing this label, which could help with rebuilding efforts.
The interim government is set to lead until March, but it hasn’t said yet how a permanent government will be formed. Pedersen stressed that the political process must include all Syrians and should be led by Syrians themselves.
He also called for justice for war crimes and asked the international community to increase aid for those in need.
