Syria: The US Caesar Law comes into effect today, and the UN envoy warns of famine

Today, Wednesday, the "Caesar Law" will be implemented, which includes US sanctions aimed at withholding revenues for the Syrian regime, coinciding with a record depreciation of the lira and the collapse of the economy, as the UN envoy, Gates Pederson, warned of a famine.

During a video session at the UN Security Council yesterday, the UN Special Envoy to Syria said that the situation in Syria is getting worse, with 9 million and 300,000 Syrians suffering from food insecurity, and there are more than two million others threatened with this, and if the situation worsens, a famine may occur.

"In recent weeks, we have seen many Syrians express their concerns with the spread of the Corona epidemic," Pederson added.

He explained that this situation prompted many Syrians to demonstrate peacefully in areas such as Idlib, As-Suwayda and cities in the southwest of the country, which calls for concern over the security situation and fear of an escalation of violence.

At the same meeting, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Kelly Kraft, informed the Security Council that Caesar's law aims only to prevent the Bashar al-Assad regime from achieving a military victory and direct it toward the political process, and to deny it the returns and support it used to commit atrocities and human rights violations, which prevent a solution to be found. Political and severely reduces the prospects for peace.

Kraft stressed that the legislation contains guarantees to prevent its impact on the humanitarian aid provided to the Syrian people, and that it would be suspended if the regime stopped its "shameful attacks on its people and referred all perpetrators to the judiciary."

The US ambassador welcomed Pederson's announcement that he intends to resume the talks of the committee in charge of reviewing the Syrian constitution at the end of August in Geneva, after it stopped working months ago.

As sanctions enter into force under Caesar's law, the United States continues its commitment to ensure international humanitarian support reaches civilians in Syria through close coordination between international partners. # Caesar's Law pic.twitter.com/b8y2W8H6ai

- US Embassy Syria (@USEmbassySyria) June 16, 2020

Criticism
and criticized Russia and China law, said Russia 's ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzia said Washington stressed that " the purpose of these procedures is to overthrow the legitimate authorities in Syria."

As China's Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun said, "While weak states like the pandemic Syria (Corona) are struggling, imposing more sanctions is simply inhumane and may cause additional disasters."

In turn, the Syrian regime’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, in a speech to a separate meeting of the Human Rights Council, accused Washington of trying to impose its law on the world, and underestimating calls to end unilateral sanctions.

For his part, Secretary-General of the Lebanese Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, considered that Caesar's law targets Lebanon and Syria, and seeks to starve and subjugate the two countries in order to surrender to Israel.

The law - signed by US President Donald Trump and passed by both houses of Congress last December - specifically provides for the freezing of reconstruction aid, and the imposition of sanctions on the Syrian regime and companies cooperating with it, unless the perpetrators of violations are tried, and it also targets Russian and Iranian entities working with the system.

Several Syrian cities, especially the endosperm in the south, are witnessing angry demonstrations after the exchange rate of the Syrian pound collapsed to 3200 against the dollar. Lebanon is also witnessing protests since Thursday as the Lebanese pound continues to collapse, which lost about 70% of its value since last October.