US amends sanctions regulations to ease aid delivery in Syria
An amended general license allows NGOs in Syria to take part in otherwise prohibited activities, including new investment in Syria and transactions with the Syrian government.
The US Treasury Department has rolled out new authorizations for nongovernmental organizations working in war-torn Syria, in a move designed to ensure aid agencies can deliver humanitarian assistance without running afoul of existing US sanctions.
In a statement Wednesday, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said NGOs are now permitted to engage in new investment in Syria; the purchase of Syrian petroleum products for use in Syria; and certain transactions with elements of the Syrian government. The department said those actions are authorized only for not-for-profit activities such as humanitarian projects and democracy-building.
