“As part of the humanitarian aid announced by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani during his visit to Damascus on January 10, 4.5 million euros have been allocated for emergency relief initiatives,” the Italian foreign ministry said in a statement.
It explained that the aid relief will address “the most urgent and priority areas” in the country, particularly its health infrastructure, water and food supply chains, and disadvantaged groups of the population.
In late February, the EU suspended numerous restrictive economic measures on Syria, particularly in the energy, banking, transport, and reconstruction sectors.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani welcomed the decision, saying at the time that Damascus hoped that the sanctions relief would be “a step toward alleviating the suffering of our people.”
Foreign powers have been opening up to the prospect of easing sanctions on Syria since December 8 when a coalition of rebels led by the Islamist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) marched on the capital Damascus and toppled longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad, ending decades of Baathist rule.
Since taking charge, the new leadership in Damascus has pushed for the lifting of international sanctions.
However, observers have urged the international community to tie any relief to concrete benchmarks, including commitments to an inclusive political process.
