China to US: End Sanctions on Syria after Deadly Quakes

By Staff, Agencies 

The Chinese Foreign Ministry warned that the American sanctions targeting Syria have disrupted relief efforts, after catastrophic earthquakes killed more than 10,000 people in the region earlier this week.

It further urged the US to lift the penalties and “unlock the doors for humanitarian aid.”

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning was asked to comment on the sanctions during her daily press briefing on Wednesday, noting Washington’s history of intervention in Syria and the grave consequences for average citizens.

“The devastating earthquakes – on top of years of war and turmoil – have left Syria in a terrible humanitarian crisis,” she said, adding that “frequent [US] military strikes and harsh economic sanctions have caused huge civilian casualties and taken away the means to subsistence of the Syrians.”

Mao Ning also added: “In the wake of the catastrophe, the US should put aside geopolitical obsessions and immediately lift the unilateral sanctions on Syria, to unlock the doors for humanitarian aid to Syria.”

Mao went on to condemn ongoing US military operations in Syria, stating that American forces are stealing the country’s energy resources at a staggering rate.

“As we speak, the US troops continue to occupy Syria’s principal oil-producing regions. They have plundered more than 80% of Syria’s oil production and smuggled and burned Syria’s grain stock. All this has made Syria’s humanitarian crisis even worse,” she continued.