Russian Fertilizers Can't Reach Syria Due to US Sanctions as Terrorists Stall Humanitarian Aid

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - Humanitarian efforts of supplying Russian fertilizer to Syria cannot be carried out because of US sanctions, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy said Tuesday, adding that terrorist groups are also not allowing humanitarian supplies to go from Damascus to the north of the country.

"Because of the American Caeser Act, even with the UN’s efforts in Damascus, humanitarian supplies of Russian fertilizer can’t be carried out from fertilizers that are impounded in EU ports," Polyanskiy told the Security Council members.

Given that the agricultural lands are occupied by the US, Russia expects that Washington will take necessary steps to carry out this humanitarian operation.

Earlier today, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen held a meeting in Moscow to discuss mobilizing international assistance to help Damascus overcome the consequences of the recent devastating earthquakes.

During the talks, Moscow also stressed the need to coordinate efforts of the UN specialized agencies with Damascus in accordance with the UN General Assembly's Resolution 46/182, which provides for the leading principles of humanitarian coordination, and to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Syria.

The Tuesday speaking engagement also saw Polyanskiy note how terrorist groups in Syria are not allowing humanitarian supplies to go from Damascus to the north of the country.

"In the two weeks since the tragedy, due to the blatant sabotage by terrorists, it has not been possible to dispatch a single humanitarian convoy across the contact line," said Polyanskiy.

It is puzzling because sometimes these fighters are blocking the aid and sometimes they are not, he added.

The humanitarian aid is needed more than ever given the effects of the tragic earthquake.

On February 6, parts of Turkiye and Syria were hit by massive magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes and a series of aftershocks that caused massive casualties and destruction, killed thousands of people and injured many more.

In Turkiye, the disaster claimed the lives of over 44,000 people. The Syrian Health Ministry has said that the final death toll from the earthquake in the government-controlled part of Syria reached 1,414 people, but the UN has estimated the total number of deaths in the country at 8,500.