EU extends humanitarian exemption for Syria for another six months

“To continue responding in a timely manner to the urgency of the humanitarian crisis in Syria, and to keep facilitating the rapid delivery of aid, the Council has decided to extend the duration of this humanitarian exemption for a further six months until 24 February 2024,” the council said in a statement.

Certain individuals and entities, involved in humanitarian activities in Syria will continue to be granted the exemption from the asset freeze and from the related prohibition on making funds, the statement read.

On February 6, a series of powerful earthquakes hit the southeastern regions of Turkey and some parts of Syria, toppling thousands of homes. The underground tremors, followed by hundreds of aftershocks, were felt in 11 Turkish provinces and in neighboring countries, including Syria. In Turkey alone, the earthquakes caused over 50,000 fatalities.

Over 12 years, the Syrian crisis has placed an estimated 15.3 million people in dire need of humanitarian assistance, including 5.5 million refugees forced to flee Syria to neighboring states and 6.8 million internally displaced people, according to the UN Refugee Agency.