GENEVA, Dec 20: The raft of international sanctions on Syria must be reassessed to help the country rebuild following the ousting of president Bashar al-Assad, the head of the UN's migration agency said Friday.
Amy Pope also said Syria's women must be empowered to play a full role in building a new society and bringing stability to the shattered nation.
The lightning offensive that forced Assad's departure was led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is rooted in Al-Qaeda's Syria branch but has more recently adopted a moderate tone.
The international community has been in no rush to lift sanctions on either Syria or members of HTS, waiting to see how the new authorities exercise their power.
"In terms of the sanctions, we really are talking about all the sanctions: UN sanctions, US sanctions, other sanctions," said International Organization for Migration chief Pope after visiting the country.
"You can see that across the board the sanctions have had quite a significant effect, especially on vulnerable populations. So to rebuild the situation, there will be a need to re-evaluate those sanctions," she told a press conference in Geneva.
"People do not have access to credit. They are very much reliant on cash.
"The salaries that people are getting for work are extremely low." —AFP
