ALBAWABA - International assistance pledged to earthquake-stricken Syria is hampered by a law that saw stringent western sanctions slapped on the Arab country in 2014.
The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, also known as the Caesar Act, is a United States legislation introduced four years ago.
It sanctions the Syrian government, including Syrian president Bashar Assad, for "war crimes against the Syrian population," according to Wikipedia.
It imposes penalties on any government, private entity, or individual for providing material support that could be seen as propping up Assad's regime.
The Caesar Act has humanitarian waiver clauses (305,306,402c), and Molham team, whom you claim are corrupt, were forbidden from entering regime-held areas. Your narrative unravels daily. pic.twitter.com/7fj5H5fS53
— Mohammad El Sahily - محمد الساحلي (@moesahily) February 7, 2023
The act was introduced under the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump. It advocates a complete cessation of all forms of assistance to Syria under Assad's regime, which faced a civil war that began in 2011.
Introducing the Cesar Act followed the circulation of pictures leaked by a breakaway Syrian officer of 11 detainees tortured and killed while in detention in Syria at the height of the civil war in 2014.
pic.twitter.com/cOYoMTPZ5o The unjust US Caesar Act prevents humanitarian aid to Syria after the earthquake. This act prohibits the provision of foreign support to Syria and “affects any person or entity that provides financial, technical or material support to Syria's government ?
— Norma Brown (@normantawil1) February 6, 2023
Syrians, including opposition activists, unanimously urged the international community to break the sanctions against Syria.
They called for machinery and desperately needed medical supplies to stop a growing number of deaths among civilians trapped under the rubble of hundreds of buildings, which collapsed as a result of the powerful 7.8-magnitude quake.
#قيصر_يمنع_الانقاذ#سوريا #زلزال_سوريا #سوريا_تستغيث #زلزال_سوريا_تركيا pic.twitter.com/D0tVEfAsHQ
— التغريدة السورية (@TheSyrianTweet) February 8, 2023
Some Tweets took the opportunity to blame the United States for the region's troubles.
وراء كل خراب عظيم... أميركا#قيصر_يمنع_الإنقاذ pic.twitter.com/C01Wy29t8C
— نارين (@Bint_Hezbolah) February 8, 2023
#قيصـــر_يمنع_الإنقاذ pic.twitter.com/CrsHYRN1No
— آدم ? ADAM ? (@adamoumessi) February 7, 2023
At least 3,162 people were killed and 5,685 people were injured in the earthquake that struck Syria on Monday, according to an updated death toll published by Aljazeera news channel, quoting Syrian civil defense sources.
By Sara Arabiyat
