In theory, the sanctions on Syria include exemptions to protect civilians from negative humanitarian repercussions. In practice, they impede access to fuel, food and medicine for millions of Syrians.
When applying for licences to conduct their operations, civil society groups and aid workers are faced with many layers of bureaucracy. The process is so complicated, and the penalties for inadvertently violating the sanctions are so severe, that many NGOs, banks, and companies are reluctant even to try. As a result, according to one UN report, importing essential medical supplies into Syria has become “immensely difficult, nearly impossible.”
Even if these humanitarian exemptions were robust and easily obtained, the sanctions would still have a devastating humanitarian impact. Sanctions make it difficult to repair and maintain roads, trucks, power plants and hospitals. They make it harder to keep electricity running in hospitals and water plants, to keep vaccines cold, or to buy petrol for the trucks that distribute food. They make food and medicines much more expensive to buy for everyone. In those conditions, it matters little whether it is technically permitted to bring food and medicine into Syria.
In 2018, UN sanctions expert Idriss Jazairy concluded: “Despite the efforts to implement ‘smart’ sanctions with humanitarian exemptions, the application of current sanction regimes have contributed to the suffering of the Syrian people,” and lead to a “worsening of the humanitarian situation, contrary to their stated intentions.” In 2022, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria similarly concluded: “Despite humanitarian exemptions, much more is required to mitigate consequences on the daily lives of civilians brought about by over-compliance, causing shortages and impeding aid.”
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