A wide range of Western sanctions are weakening the Syrian economy and threatening its recovery after 14 years of civil war.

US Both the European Union and the European Union imposed sanctions on former President Bashar al-Assad and his regime for crimes committed during the war, which began after the suppression of pro-democracy protesters in 2011.

While Assad is now gone, sanctions remain in place, including on Syria Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)It is the main group that overthrew Assad and is now leading the transitional phase in Syria.

Some European officials They recently said they would not lift sanctions until Syria’s new rulers demonstrated They will protect minorities and share power.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock traveled to Syria with her French counterpart on January 3. She said their mission was “to discuss whether such an inclusive political process is possible and whether human rights can truly be guaranteed.”

“The whole issue of lifting sanctions is linked to this,” she said.

The Western sanctions were part of an attempt to pressure Assad to change his behavior, and Western policymakers believe that these sanctions will be necessary to do the same with the new administration. But many Syrians believe the sanctions threaten to doom Syria’s political transition as it struggles to recover from years of devastation and isolation.

This is everything you need to know about Western sanctions and how they affect Syria.

How many times have sanctions been imposed on Syria?

In 1979, the United States designated Syria as a state sponsor of “terrorism” while Assad’s father, Hafez, was in power. The regime was subjected to additional targeted sanctions in 2004 due to its prolonged occupation of Lebanon and what Washington described as its support for “terrorism.”

Shortly after mass protests against Bashar al-Assad broke out in 2011, the United States and the European Union imposed targeted sanctions against a handful of government officials in response to the brutal suppression of dissent.

United States and European Union More wide-ranging sanctions were imposed, such as Syria The country slid deeper into turmoil, affecting the central bank and the electricity and energy sectors.

These sanctions prevented the government from buying or trading money to stabilize its currency, keep the lights on in most parts of the country and import almost any form of technology.

The United States then passed the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act in 2019, which effectively banned countries and private companies from doing business with Assad’s government.

In addition, the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations Security Council have designated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham as a “terrorist” group due to its past links to Al-Qaeda, which continues to make Western powers concerned about lifting sanctions.

Are these sanctions still in effect?

They do.

The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act and Tahrir al-Sham’s “terrorist” designation are the most debilitating, according to Jerome Drevon, a Syria expert with the International Crisis Group (ICG).

He said the former indirectly affected all layers of the Syrian economy by effectively preventing the country from exporting or importing goods and raw materials.

He told Al Jazeera that the “terrorist” designation on Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham has a similar effect.

“Any transaction or investment in the country is linked to the government [of HTS] “It can be seen through the lens of supporting terrorism,” Drevon explained.

Do sanctions harm aid operations?

Very much.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the United States and the European Union have issued a number of waivers in order to maintain relief operations, yet the sanctions continue to have a profound impact on aid groups.

Aid groups often have to jump through costly bureaucratic hurdles to ensure that banks and exporters do not violate sanctions imposed by the United States or the European Union, which carry heavy fines and the risk of imprisonment.

These obstacles often lead to long delays in the delivery of aid inside Syria. Worse still, the perceived risk of violating sanctions – even if there is an exception – has a chilling effect that sharply limits the aid response.

Human Rights Watch said that many banks and private companies prefer not to cooperate with relief agencies even when they are assured that they will not violate US and European Union sanctions.

“Major parties and financial institutions often avoid dealing, directly or indirectly, with Syrian individuals or entities even in sectors not subject to sanctions,” Human Rights Watch wrote in a report published last year.

Should sanctions be lifted?

The new Syrian administration The United States has urged And others to lift sanctions, saying the move would be vital to allowing Syria to rebuild itself.

Drevon said most sanctions should be lifted.

He told Al Jazeera that the vast majority of the sanctions that Syria inherited today were imposed to punish the Assad regime.

He said that these sanctions should be lifted now that the regime is gone.

Drevon warned that the sanctions risk isolating Syria and forcing more civilians to take up arms and benefit from the illicit economy if viable alternatives are not available.

“The sanctions threaten to destabilize the country in the medium term,” he told Al Jazeera. “Indeed, we have to imagine the extent to which armed groups could emerge in different regions of the country and engage in smuggling and the black market to make a living from it.”

Is it too late to lift sanctions?

The short answer is no.

The United States has taken a step to issue waivers to allow aid groups and private entities to circumvent sanctions and expand relief efforts in the country, according to the Wall Street Journal.

One human rights defender, who did not wish to be named, told Al Jazeera that based on conversations held with members of the US administration, the suspension of sanctions would be “broad-based” and would effectively allow direct dealings with the current authorities.

Drivon, of the International Crisis Group, believes that suspending sanctions will also effectively enable a number of commercial transactions with the government.

The suspension will last for about six months, and then the next administration of US President-elect Donald Trump will decide whether to maintain sanctions on Syria or not.

Drevon said that the American move is a good first step, but there is still more to be done to achieve stability in Syria during the delicate transitional period it is going through.

“You can suspend sanctions, but that will not necessarily stimulate the private sector to invest,” Drevon told Al Jazeera. “How long can anyone make long-term investments if no one knows whether the suspension will last for a long time?”