Assad: Syria Facing Unjust Embargo, Economic Challenge in Its Fight against Pandemic

By Staff, Agencies

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said the unjust sanctions imposed by Western countries against Damascus constitute a major obstacle on the way of fighting the ongoing deadly pandemic of the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

Assad made the remarks during an official meeting on Monday with the country’s government team tasked with confronting the deadly virus and its repercussions.

In addition to health challenges posed by the coronavirus, there is also “an economic challenge, which we have been facing as a result of over nine years and unjust [Western] sanctions imposed on our people,” Assad said.

He also stressed that another issue, which has added to Syria’s woes amid the pandemic, is the state of global economic self-isolation and recession that is affecting many countries across the globe.

Syria has since 1979 been under unilateral and harsh economic sanctions by the United States. Since the spread of the new coronavirus in the Arab country earlier this year, Damascus has also been in great difficulty to obtain necessary medical supplies and equipment from other countries to combat the disease.

Assad noted that the Syrian government immediately carried out a calculated series of procedures to protect citizens, including imposing a partial curfew across the country.

He also hailed the swift response and awareness of Syrian citizens as the main factor in slowing the spread of the coronavirus across the country.

Official figures by Syria's Health Ministry show that as of Monday, 44 individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 and three others have lost their lives in the war-ravaged country.