EU agrees to ease sanctions on supplies of humanitarian aid to Syria

The EU has temporarily eased sanctions on Syria to speed up aid deliveries to the country two weeks after a devastating earthquake, Report informs referring to Arab News.

Aid organizations will no longer need to seek permission from EU member state governments before sending supplies and services to sanctioned entities in Syria, the European Council representing the bloc’s countries said in a statement.

The measure will last for six months and was taken “in view of the gravity of the humanitarian crisis in Syria exacerbated by the earthquake.”

The massive 7.8-magnitude quake on February 6 has killed more than 42,000 people in Türkiye and more than 3,600 in Syria.

The EU pointed out that it and its member states are at the forefront of donors of humanitarian aid to conflict-torn Syria, having contributed a total 27.4 billion euros ($26 billion) to that country and to refugee-hosting neighbors such as Türkiye since 2011.

Post-quake, the EU provided 3.5 million euros for urgent humanitarian needs in Syria.