The recent earthquakes that devastated Turkey and Syria have left millions of people in desperate need of help. But those seeking to bring food, medicine, and supplies into the country face daunting obstacles. 

Syria’s government wants to control aid shipments and who gets them. Strict economic sanctions imposed on Syria’s government by the US and Europe make it difficult to conduct any transactions there. Governments, banks and humanitarian aid groups are sometimes wary of triggering penalties if their work is seen as violating the sanctions, even despite a temporary easing of the restrictions for earthquake relief.

Sylvia Westall in Dubai, who leads Bloomberg’s government coverage in the Middle East, and Nick Wadhams in Washington, DC, who oversees reporting on US national security and foreign policy, join this episode to talk about how sanctions and the Syrian government are complicating efforts to assist earthquake victims. And Jennifer Higgins of the International Rescue Committee describes how her organization is clearing these hurdles to bring help where it’s needed most.

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