TEHRAN – Amir Saeed Iravani, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, on Tuesday urged “immediate and unconditional” lifting of Western sanctions against Syria in order to help Syria to deal with the aftermath of the highly devastating earthquake that hit the country early last month.

The huge earthquake that hit northern Syria and southern Turkey on February 6, has so far killed more than 50,000 people on both sides of the border.

The natural disaster "has exacerbated the country's already dire humanitarian situation,” collapsed “structures and basic services” and severely affected “people's ability to meet their basic needs," Iravani told the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

"Given the severity of the situation, humanitarian assistance must be scaled up and provided in an impartial and non-discriminatory manner, free of politicization or conditionality to ensure that the most vulnerable individuals receive the assistance they require," he added.

"In order to more effectively address Syria's current humanitarian crisis, the international community must focus on lifting the inhumane unilateral sanctions."

The U.S. and its Western allies introduced sanctions on Syria after 2011, when the country found itself in the grip of rampant foreign-backed militancy and terrorism. The coercive measures intensified further with Washington's passing of the Caesar Act in 2019, which targeted any individual and business that participated either directly or indirectly in Syria's reconstruction efforts.

The Iranian envoy reminded that the Western measures amounted to blatant violations of international law and the UN Charter, adding that the sanctions had made it more difficult for the Syrian people to access their needs and have constrained the ability of government institutions to deliver basic services and improve living standards.

In the face of overwhelming international criticism, the U.S. moved on February 10 to issue a temporary sanctions waiver to allow earthquake relief funds to reach Syria.

Iravani, however, asserted that the exemptions were not sufficient, saying they are "only an attempt to create the appearance of concern."

The ambassador said, "It is not enough to offer words of solidarity without taking concrete actions. We call for the immediate, complete, and unconditional lifting of these unjustified sanctions."

The ambassador also condemned the continued plundering of Syria's natural resources, primarily oil, and gas -- a trend that American occupation forces started under former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Iravani cited Syria's official statistics that have shown that such plunders have resulted in the loss of more than $100 billion of Syrian national resources and wealth.