DISINFO: World Food Programme: EU, US sanctions caused 12.4 million people to be food insecure
SUMMARY
We have to get out of the hypocrisy about Syria. In Syria, more than 12.4 million people are food insecure because of the sanctions of the United States and the European Union, these figures had been made public by the World Food Program.
The US sanctions against Syria are in favour of famine and serve only as a pretext for many companies or banks to impose even harsher rules against the country. The European Union put an end to its shameful policy.
Those who put their hatred of Bashar al-Assad before the food, medical and health survival of the Syrian people today have blood on their hands. The situation is also destabilizing Lebanon, where more than a million Syrian refugees reside.
It is necessary to organize massive support for the voluntary return of Syrian refugees to their country.
No political model, no philosophical opinion can justify starving a population to accomplish goals. The European Union must quickly come out of the hypocrisy in Syria and campaign for an end to the sanctions that only encourage the Islamist militias in Idlib to continue their fight.
To defend these millions of children, these millions of families, the EU must stop these sanctions.
Europeans are hypocrites : they claim that medical products are exempt from sanctions, when it is not the case. Financial transactions being blocked for the Syrians, they cannot buy anything: neither drugs, nor medical equipment, even if Europeans are ready to sell it.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the Syrian war that aims to discredit the EU's humanitarian aid to Syria with accusations of hypocrisy.
The world food program of the UN alerted on 12 February 2021 that :
A record 12.4 million Syrians - nearly 60 percent of the population - are now food insecure, according to alarming new national data from the UN World Food Programme (WFP). In just over one year, an additional 4.5 million Syrians have become food insecure.
It also adds that this is almost 60% of the country’s population, and this has increased by a staggering 4.5 million people in the last year alone. An additional 1.8 million people are at risk of becoming food insecure unless urgent humanitarian action is taken.
The conflict, the degradation of the economy are pointed out as possible causes of the worsening context.
In June 2020 the European External Action Service has published a video to answer to such disinformation on social media.
In Syria there are individuals and organisations who ordered or carried out attacks and torture against their own people, made or used chemical weapons or built their personal fortune thanks to the war.
EU sanctions are designed in a way that only targets these people and these activities, avoiding negative impacts on the population. The EU started sanctioning these people as early as 2011.
273 such individuals and 70 such entities fall under EU sanctions. Most Syrians know who they are and what they did.
At all times since sanctions were imposed in 2011, Syrians have still been able to buy food, medicines and other goods produced in Europe. There is no economic war on Syria. Trade with Europe has continued throughout the war.
And so did humanitarian aid and support to the population, EU sanctions have humanitarian exceptions built in. If a trustworthy humanitarian NGO wants to bring prohibited chemicals into Syria for medical purposes, they just ask for an exception – and they get it.
The EU is the largest humanitarian donor to Syria. Two thirds of the money spent to help the Syrians comes from the EU and its Member States.
The EU has provided over € 18 billion to the Syrians since the beginning of the war. In food, shelter, health and education. Not in weapons. The EU provided assistance to keep hospitals and clinics operating , while others bombed them. The Eu continues to bring assistance to Syria, including medical equipment needed to fight the coronavirus.
EU sanctions are often wrongly blamed for shortages and the suffering of the population. This is what the main culprits say to cover for their taking money away from the Syrian people and profiteering from war, corruption and poor economic management.
Read also related stories: Syria-sanctions should trigger hunger revolts to force regime change , Western sanctions prevent the return of Syrian refugees, EU sanctions against Syrians is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, EU-Sanctions on Syria are unlawful and force Syrians to starve, Sanctions on Syria are illegal and aim to destroy the country, The EU pretends to want to help people in Syria: EU humanitarian aid is dishonest and hypocritical, EU sanctions on Syria unlawful and bypass the UN, Extension of European sanctions on Syria is a crime against humanity, Syria didn't receive food or medicines from the EU for a long time.