Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
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New York, SANA – Syria’s Permanent Representative at the UN Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari stressed the need to lift the Western sanctions imposed on Syria in light of the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) around the world, stressing that these sanctions undermine the UN’s calls for solidarity and cooperation against this pandemic.
In a video conference for the UN General Assembly on Friday for discussing the best methods to reduce the economic and social impact of Coronavirus, al-Jaafari said that Syria is undergoing exceptional circumstances related to the economic and social impact of the terrorist war which is accompanied by an economic blockade and sanctions imposed on the Syrian people, which affects the ability of economic and services sectors in Syria to perform their tasks efficiently, including the health sector, in addition to affecting the currency exchange rate and raising the prices of various products and services.
He said that these illegal actions against Syria and other states hinder their ability to contain the Coronavirus and undermine the principle the UN calls for which is solidarity and cooperation in confronting this threat, noting that these sanctions affect more than 2 billion people around the world.
Syria’s Representative said the states affected by sanctions have sent letters to the UN Secretary General explaining the sanctions’ impact on their ability to combat the Coronavirus, but there has been no response from the governments that insist on imposing these measures.
He noted that the UN Secretary General’s report issued last month on responding to the economic and social impact of the virus has called for lifting sanctions to ensure that food, test kits, and medical supports becomes available to people, stressing the need to translate these words into actions in order to curb this pandemic.
Hazem Sabbagh
