World must 're-evaluate' sanctions to help rebuild Syria: UN

A man walks past the rubble of a damaged building at the Citadel of Aleppo in northern Syria on December 11, 2024. Islamist-led rebels took the Syrian capital Damascus in a lightning offensive on December 8, ousting president Bashar al-Assad and ending five decades of Baath rule in the country. [AFP]

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."

The ousting of Assad  ended decades of abuses and years of civil war, but it has raised concerns about the rights of minorities, as well as women, and the future of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

On Thursday, hundreds of demonstrators in Damascus demanded democracy and women's rights, in the first such protest since Assad's departure.

"We... are strongly urging the caretaker government to continue to empower and enable women, because they are going to be absolutely critical to the rebuilding of the country," Pope said.