US adopts sanctions exceptions to help humanitarian support

By Ovunc Kutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - The US has adopted exceptions to sanctions to help humanitarian support around the world, the Treasury Department said Tuesday.

The agency said its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took additional steps to support the flow of legitimate humanitarian assistance that support the basic human needs of vulnerable populations around the world, while sanctions remain in place against malicious actors.

It said OFAC issued or amended general licenses to ease the delivery of humanitarian aid and ensure authorizations for humanitarian support across many sanctions programs.

With the decision, the US becomes the first country to implement the UN Security Council's resolution that provides a humanitarian exemption to asset freeze measures imposed by UN sanctions regimes.

"The general licenses released today reflect the United States’ commitment to ensuring that humanitarian assistance and related trade continues to reach at-risk populations through legitimate and transparent channels, while maintaining the effective use of targeted sanctions, which remain an essential foreign policy tool," Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo said in a statement.