When asked whether the sanctions against Syria have been challenging the work of his relief center in Syria, Al Rabeeah told reporters, "I believe in general that when there is a disaster … we should split a humanitarian from any other motive."
He said that the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre has been working with the Red Crescent in Syria and has not faced any restrictions.
"We have seen good response," Al Rabeeah told reporters.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said earlier this month that sanctions should not interfere with humanitarian assistance to the Syrians. On February 9, the US Treasury also issued a general license, which authorized for 180 days all transactions related to earthquake relief that would be otherwise prohibited due to sanctions.
Parts of Turkey and Syria were hit by a series of powerful earthquakes and aftershocks on February 6. According to the Syrian Health Ministry, the final death toll from the earthquake stands at over 1,400 people, while at least 2,357 others were injured.
However, this data covers only government-controlled territories. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has estimated the number of deaths in northwest Syria, which is not controlled by Damascus, stands at 5,000.