(MENAFN) According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, American sanctions against Syria have hampered relief efforts in the wake of devastating earthquakes that struck the region earlier this week and killed more than 15,000 people. Beijing pleaded with Washington to withdraw the sanctions imposed on Syria and "open the floodgates for humanitarian help."
During her regular press conference on Wednesday, spokeswoman for the foreign ministry Mao Ning was asked to comment on the sanctions. She cited Washington's history of intervening in Syria and the serious consequences for common people.
She added that "frequent [US] military strikes and harsh economic sanctions have caused huge civilian casualties and taken away the means to subsistence of the Syrians" in addition to "years of war and turmoil." She said that "the devastating earthquakes - on top of years of war and turmoil - have left Syria in a terrible humanitarian crisis."
Following Monday's earthquakes, which shook Turkey and Syria and claimed hundreds of lives in both countries, humanitarian organizations like the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the US-based Arab American-Anti-Discrimination Committee have pleaded with US officials to lift the sanctions.
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