Thread by @KenanRahmani

Syria, the Earthquake, humanitarian aid, sanctions. A long 🧵with facts and context:

1) While BLOCKING the UN from sending aid across Turkish-Syrian border, Assad's regime calls for lifting sanctions targeting human rights abusers, falsely claiming sanctions prevent humanitarian aid from reaching earthquake victims that Assad spent past 12 years bombing.

2) Obviously, Assad never cared to provide aid to Syrians, especially those residing outside of regime control. In fact, Assad systematically bombed hospitals, medics, & rescue workers, denied UN aid to those besieged by "Syrian" army, & vetoed use of border crossings for UN aid.

3) The one (of 8) crossings that Assad begrudgingly allowed UN to use to deliver aid to Syrians is now destroyed. If regime cared at all about Syrian victims of earthquake, it would immediately allow UN to use all crossings. The regime refuses—not at all surprising to us Syrians.

4) From 2011-2023, Assad relentlessly bombed EXACT areas most impacted by #TurkeySyriaEarthquake. Assad's destruction of Syria is many times more destructive & deadly than the earthquake. (500,000 by Assad vs. 1,300 so far by earthquake).

Left: Assad attack
Right: Earthquake

5) During this time, Assad specifically targeted civilian infrastructure, focusing on hospitals, medics, search & rescue workers. 600+ hospitals were bombed and 878 medical workers were killed by Assad & Russia.

See:
-syriamap.phr.org
-nytimes.com/2019/10/13/rea…

6) From 2011-2023, Assad also bombed UN aid convoys & warehouses. Assad besieged over 2 million Syrians—blocking UN aid from reaching them—under the regime's "surrender or starve" strategy.

See:
-nytimes.com/2017/03/01/wor…
-dw.com/en/un-nearly-o…

7) 7.5 million Syrians live outside Assad regime control, in areas hit hardest by earthquake. Regime provides no services in these areas. These 7.5 million civilians are in most need, with millions having been displaced at least once, facing food insecurity & shelter issues.

8) NGOs providing services/relief in rebel-held Syria are attacked by & receive no assistance from Assad regime. Further, @UN's ops are severely restricted since Russia & Assad have repeatedly vetoed use of all but 1 of 8 border crossings for UN aid.

See: nytimes.com/2022/07/08/us/…

9) Many earthquake victims (both in Syria and S. Turkey) were refugees/displaced from Aleppo, Homs, Deir Ezzor, Daraa, Damascus suburbs—cities destroyed by Assad. If Assad hadn't destroyed their homes, they would've remained there, out of path of earthquake's destruction.

10) If Assad hadn't deliberately targeted White Helmets (killing over 250+), more would be there to help with rescue efforts. If Assad hadn't deliberately targeted/killed Syrian doctors & hadn't deliberately bombed hospitals, there would be more to treat earthquake victims.

11) Now Assad's regime wants you to believe that it is Western sanctions (imposed to isolate/punish key regime decisionmakers and financiers) which are impeding the delivery of emergency aid to the same populations that Assad has besieged and attacked for over a decade.

12) The UN and its agencies are not in any way impeded by US sanctions laws. No UN agency has ever reported any obstruction due to US sanctions. Last year, UN reached 7.8 million people, working in 13 sectors with 186 partners on 763 projects. Look at who funded their work:

13) Sanctions do not apply to NGO relief work either. US provides a general license (no need for NGOs to apply) for NGOs providing relief/development allowing for almost any kind of aid or relief work to bypass sanctions. ecfr.gov/current/title-…

14) In 2021, the general license was expanded to allow even new not-for-profit investment, purchase of petroleum, and certain transactions with the Syrian regime: home.treasury.gov/news/press-rel…

15) But guess what happens to the billions of US-funded UN relief aid for Syrians? The Assad regime steals most of it. First, the regime's Central Bank takes 51% off the top by manipulating its currency. See: theguardian.com/global-develop…

16) Then, Assad compels the UN to partner with Assad-approved local NGOs, including those run by his wife Asma & his cousin Rami (both under US sanctions). US humanitarianism is undercutting its own sanctions and political objectives. theguardian.com/world/2016/aug…

17) A study of the top 100 suppliers to the UN's Damascus aid programs reveals that 47% of the UN's procurement contracts have been awarded to persons/entities on sanctions lists and/or human rights abusers responsible for committing horrific massacres. opensyr.com/en/pages/p-16

18) Much more has been written about Assad's manipulation of UN aid. Below are some key findings from @CSIS's report, "Rescuing Aid in Syria." Then there's the whole scandal involving @WHOSyria, which I won't even get into: apnews.com/article/WHO-sy….

19) It should surprise no one that Assad wants more aid to flow through his regime, so that he can get his 51% cut and bribes for his buddies, rather than across the Turkish-Syrian border where it will help Syrians who need it.

20) It should also surprise no one that he wants sanctions lifted so that his wife can go back to buying designer clothes and furniture on her own credit card, instead of having to create a network of shell companies which keep getting shut down.

21) As despicable and unbelievable as it seems, the Assad regime CONTINUES to bomb civilian areas struck by the earthquake, just as rescue workers try to save those beneath the rubble. independent.co.uk/news/world/mid…

22) In summary: no, sanctions do not hinder emergency relief from reaching Syrians. It is Assad who stops relief from reaching Syrians. It is Assad who steals UN aid $ that Western gov'ts donate to Syrians. Border crossings should all be open NOW & sanctions should remain.

23) An update from @USTreasury:

https://twitter.com/KenanRahmani/status/1623840970176606208