We have a short window to help Syrian earthquake victims

Thanks to many of you, our exceptional donors, SSM provided relief funds to the brave Syrian rescuers who saved so many of their compatriots from under the rubble in Latakia, Hama, Aleppo and other affected regions, despite a lack of equipment, resources and fuel. Thus far we have raised $16,000 and found ways to deliver it to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, Mosaic Human Relief and Development, the Social Unity Society and other tireless Syrian relief organizations.

It was not easy.

The US Office of Foreign Assets Control, the agency responsible for enforcing the economic sanctions against Syria, claimed to have made an “exception” to its regulations for the sake of Syria earthquake relief, by issuing “General License 23”. Unfortunately, GL23 made it no easier to deliver any of the food, medical supplies, equipment or foreign expertise needed for the emergency. It only provided the permission to do so and left it up to groups like us to find a way around the continuing blockade by banks and other institutions preventing all forms of exchange with Syria. We and a few similar groups in other countries had to find travelers to deliver the funds or channel them through other countries that still have some form of financial ties with Syria.

Not surprisingly, the US and western governments and media also did not make it easy to reach potential donors by letting them know about the desperate needs inside Syria and the means of sharing with our Syrian brothers and sisters. We are therefore doubly grateful to those of you who forwarded our message to lists and communities with which we might otherwise not have access.

Although the 7200 Syrian dead are now buried, the survivors continue to need medical support, housing, and extensive reconstruction of the structures and infrastructure by which they earned a living. Even GL23 includes a 180-day period of sanctions suspension in order to allow for such recovery. And we are using its provisions to donate directly to Syrian charitable organizations – something that astonishingly was forbidden before the suspension and will apparently be reimposed after the end of the 180-day period.

For this reason, we continue to depend upon your help, both for funding and for informing the larger community. Please spare what you can and continue to share our message.

All donations are U.S. tax exempt.

Thank you for your support,

The SSM Team