U.S. Eases Some Restrictions on Humanitarian Aid to Syria

The Biden administration on Monday lifted some restrictions on humanitarian aid to Syria but kept sweeping sanctions in place just weeks after rebel forces toppled the Assad family’s 50-year authoritarian grip on the country.

The authorization by the Treasury Department is a sign of how Washington is taking tentative steps to navigate its approach to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the main rebel faction that took down the government in Damascus. The group was once an affiliate of Al Qaeda and, although it has broken with the organization, it remains a designated a terrorist group by the U.S. government.

The decision by the Treasury, which lasts for six months, allows humanitarian groups to operate more freely without running afoul of U.S. sanctions, including by helping to provide basic services such as electricity, energy, water and sanitation.

During Syria’s civil war, which began in March 2011, the United States and its allies routinely looked to apply economic pressure on the now-ousted President Bashar al-Assad, his inner circle and the country’s economy writ large, leaving Syria as one of the Treasury’s “most comprehensively sanctioned jurisdictions,” according to a news release by the department.

The United States across three administrations slapped increasingly punitive sanctions on Syria, to such an extent that some analysts questioned whether they had become counterproductive and overly harmful to civilians.

“The end of Bashar al-Assad’s brutal and repressive rule, backed by Russia and Iran, provides a unique opportunity for Syria and its people to rebuild,” Wally Adeyemo, the deputy Treasury secretary, said in the statement. “During this period of transition, Treasury will continue to support humanitarian assistance and responsible governance in Syria.”

Sanctions remain one of the most pressing concerns for Syria’s new administration as it tries to chart a path forward. As soon as Mr. al-Assad fled the country in December, one of the first requests of Ahmed al-Shara, the leader of the rebel coalition that overthrew the government, was for the United States to begin easing restrictions.

Syria’s new foreign minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, echoed those calls over the weekend.

“These sanctions constitute a barrier and an obstacle to the rapid recovery and development of the Syrian people, who await services and partnerships from other countries,” he told reporters. “We reiterate our calls for the United States to lift these sanctions, which have now become against the Syrian people rather than what they previously were: imposed sanctions on the Assad regime.”

On Monday, a new Qatari airplane landed in Damascus laden with humanitarian aid, part of a broader push by Arab nations to airlift assistance into Syria as the country continues to grapple with a dire humanitarian crisis.

European nations have also sent tens of millions of dollars in humanitarian assistance since the Assad government fell last month. These contributions, however, represent only a fraction of what Syria needs to recover and rebuild after more than a decade of war.

Experts say that U.S. sanctions affect humanitarian operations by cutting the country off from money it desperately needs for reconstruction and economic development. Not only do families and relief organizations struggle to send money home or provide assistance, but the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank also cannot offer aid.