Those who travel in Syria these days constantly observe countless examples of how these sanctions have devastated civilian lives. Rampant inflation with skyrocketing costs for nearly every consumer food and quality of life items. Today, a major worry is the availability of and affordability of fuel heating oil as winter draws near. The US-led sanctions are also blocking Syrians from the immediate civilian need to repair electricity infrastructure, health care facilities, access to fuel, the transport network and wider reconstruction. Moreover, it is unlikely that on a specific day Syria as a whole will move from war to peace. Consequently, the sanctions' ecosystem will need to demonstrate a much greater degree of responsiveness in how it responds to the Syrian crises. Unless addressed now, the impact of sanctions will last well after the sanctions are either removed or modified, and may create a new catastrophe in terms of crippling economic and humanitarian effects and war crimes to be judged.
The United Nations and International NGOs working in Syria are also expert on the effects on US-led, civilian-targeting sanctions. A recently leaked report from The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Syria,(UNOCHA), entitled Humanitarian Impact of Syria-Related Unilateral Restrictive Measures (aka US-led Sanctions) constitutes a strong indictment of the effects of US and EU sanctions on the civilian population of Syria. Aid agencies cited in the report complain, for example, that they cannot procure basic medicines or medical equipment for hospitals because sanctions are preventing foreign commercial companies and banks from any dealings with Syria.
According to the UNOCHA study, the US-led sanctions are blocking
international banking channels for those seeking to help desperate civilians secure
unsanctioned humanitarian aid such as medicine and food. They block the ability
to make straight-line, direct bank-to-bank payments via the global
correspondent bank network into Syria. This means that humanitarian and
development funds are increasingly being transmitted via iffy remittance and
informal payment channels that are not as reliable and encounter risks. Private
sector entities (particularly banks and exporters) are reluctant to support
humanitarian aid deliveries to Syrians in need due to the chilling effects of
OFAC severe penalties. Additionally, the license application process for
humanitarian support, beyond the allowable food and certain medicine, overly
inhibits the delivery of humanitarian aid, as the licensing framework is lengthy,
difficult to navigate and ill-prepared to respond to the needs of humanitarian
actors and their related programs. The
UN complains that the provision of available general licenses and humanitarian
exemptions are too limited and, despite special exemptions for UN and
NGO organizations, many elements of humanitarian delivery fall outside the
scope of these exceptions and therefore limit their usefulness. US-led
sanctions against the export of many
medical devices and software to Syria requires a license: medical treatment is one of the primary needs for those
affected by the crises in Syria. Medical devices and related software require
licenses for export. In recognition that many medical devices are inoperable
without software updates and patches, the licensing requirement is particularly
debilitating. Immense levels of infrastructure destruction have
created an urgent need for development and reconstruction aid, without delay in transport, communications, hospitals, water, energy infrastructures
and housing stock. This has included
the need for mass purchasing of new technologies, dual use goods and related
services/investment -- many of which are
subject to some element of sanctions.
The clear effects of the US-led sanctions targeting the civilian population of Syria which are being studied today in Syria by this observer and others, as well as noted in the OCHA) study noted above, are increasingly seen as constituting War Crimes requiring indictment.
The OCHA study documented that more than half the country's public hospitals have been damaged or destroyed. British doctors working in Aleppo have reported that over 80% of those requiring urgent medical treatment die as a result of their injuries, or lack of basic care, medicine and equipment. During the course of this study the following experiences were expressed by major International NGOs (INGO) in relation to US-led sanctions targeting Syria: "There is a deep problem with regard to procedures surrounding license applications. Applications have to be submitted through national state structures. In certain countries, there appears to be 'no' internal procedures within government as to what criteria should be applied when considering a license application. The result is that each department pursues its own obsession and interests and they often run counter to each other." "There is often 'no' feedback to your license request, just ongoing questions. Given shortage of staff [within government licensing teams,] it can take weeks to process one set of questions." "Legal costs associated with each license can outweigh the value of the good. For example, seeking U.S. approval for a computer which is destined to Syria can cost three times as much as the actual computer." And on and on, the problems caused to civilians by US-led sanctions continue.
In areas without basic medical care there is also an increased risk of outbreaks of infectious diseases. This is due to disruptions in vaccination programs, overcrowding in public shelters from high levels of internal displacement, damage to water and sanitation infrastructure and lack of waste management systems. Starvation and famine are also regularly reported to be on the rise, caused, it is claimed, by the effects of US-led sanctions. Power blackouts are common across the major cities as the price of power is too expensive for most Syrians, and many live without any electricity, as they cannot afford this 'luxury'.
Let there be established without further delay a Special Tribunal for Syria, so that the global community can render its judgment on all claims of War Crimes being committed daily in Syria, by all sides. And surely these claims include the US-led civilian targeting sanctions on the people of Syria.
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