QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The US will continue to hold the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accountable for atrocities they committed against the Syrian people, the US Department of State said on Friday.
Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson, said in a press briefing that the al-Assad “regime” committed “war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
In response to a question that the US sanctions imposed on the Syrian government are hurting Syrians more than anyone, Patel noted that the US will do its best to “hold the Assad regime accountable for its actions against the Syrian people.”
Earlier that day, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that war, a collapsing currency and a crippling economy caused the hunger rate in Syria to hit a twelve-year record height.
The WFP added that soon 70% of Syrians may not be able to have “food on the table for their families.”
US sanctions, including the Caesar Act, are an “important tool to press [the Assad government] for accountability,” according to Patel.
“We are the leading donor of humanitarian aid for the Syrian people,” Patel responded to a question implying US sanctions may be causing a new wave of refugees to leave Syria.