Sanctions on Syrian government also threaten Washington's Kurdish allies
While US and international sanctions aren't specifically targeted at Kurdish-ruled northeast Syria, the area is impacted all the same with cross-border trade practically halted and because of the sudden plunge of the Syrian pound.
WASHINGTON – Officials from Syria’s Kurdish-led autonomous region say the country's northeast is entering an economic crisis as US and international sanctions on Syria’s central government in Damascus have helped send the country’s currency into free fall.
The Syrian pound sunk below 3,000-to-one US dollar over the weekend, with a new round of US sanctions under Congress’ Caesar Act expected to kick in next week.
The sanctions do not directly target the Autonomous Administration, which is tied to a US military-backed Kurdish-led alliance of local militias known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF took control of northeast Syria during the US-backed war against the Islamic State group, inheriting a swath of the country which 4 million people call home. But the US has not directly supported the SDF-affiliated self-styled Autonomous Administration, which has more than 100,000 employees. Instead, a significant part of the regional government's revenue comes from selling crude oil from local wells and grain to the Assad regime.
The Autonomous Administration has formed an economic crisis body to help brace for the impending effect of new sanctions. On Saturday, the administration announced it will purchase wheat from local farmers at a rate based on the dollar, eschewing the unstable Syrian pound. The price has been set at $0.17 per kilogram.
