Switzerland decided today to temporarily relax the sanctions it has imposed on Syria in order to facilitate the promotion of humanitarian aid to that country after the devastating earthquake of February 6, following the stance of the US and the European Union.

Until now humanitarian organizations receiving money from the Swiss Confederation for their activities on Syrian soil could receive exemptions from sanctions for financial transactions required to provide humanitarian aid or support to the civilian population.

Today, the government explained in a statement that it had decided to expand “humanitarian exemptions to facilitate humanitarian activities in Syria, in particular the humanitarian response to the earthquake of 6 February 2023”, without specifying how long this measure would apply.

Switzerland, home to many organizations involved in humanitarian action such as the World Health Organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, now allows “the direct or indirect provision of property or financial resources to persons, entities or businesses sanctioned by humanitarian actors receiving Confederation funds”.

For “humanitarian actors” who do not receive contributions from the Confederation, a special authorization scheme is provided for the provision of financial resources to sanctioned persons, companies and entities “to enable the implementation of humanitarian action or the provision of assistance to the civilian population of Syria,” according to the statement.

The death toll from the earthquake is nearing 6,000 in Syria, already ravaged by a civil war that has raged since 2011, has killed nearly half a million people, displaced millions and damaged infrastructure.

The earthquake caused the death of 45,000 people in Turkey.