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Obama tightens sanctions against Zimbabwe
12 Jul 2014 at 20:55hrs | Views
The United States has tightened sanctions against Zimbabwe by including new measures barring Americans from making humanitarian donations without first seeking government approval, APA reported.
According to revised Zimbabwe Sanctions Regulations published by the US Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), President Barack Obama ruled that the making of food, clothing and medical donations "would seriously impair his ability to deal with the national emergency" in Zimbabwe.
"Unless specifically authorized by OFAC pursuant to this part, no charitable contribution of funds, goods, services, or technology, including contributions to relieve human suffering, such as food, clothing, or medicine, may be made by, to, or for the benefit of, or received from, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked," the regulations said.
The latest move is meant to ensure that Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF does not benefit from donations of food, clothing and medical supplies in the face of a growing humanitarian crisis.
It comes as thousands of Zimbabwean families are in desperate need of food aid, drugs and shelter after their villages in the south of the country were destroyed by flooding in February.
The government has launched an international appeal for humanitarian assistance to avert starvation and a health disaster in the area. Washington has maintained economic sanctions against Zimbabwe since 2003 after accusing President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF of stealing elections and human rights abuses.
According to revised Zimbabwe Sanctions Regulations published by the US Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), President Barack Obama ruled that the making of food, clothing and medical donations "would seriously impair his ability to deal with the national emergency" in Zimbabwe.
"Unless specifically authorized by OFAC pursuant to this part, no charitable contribution of funds, goods, services, or technology, including contributions to relieve human suffering, such as food, clothing, or medicine, may be made by, to, or for the benefit of, or received from, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked," the regulations said.
It comes as thousands of Zimbabwean families are in desperate need of food aid, drugs and shelter after their villages in the south of the country were destroyed by flooding in February.
The government has launched an international appeal for humanitarian assistance to avert starvation and a health disaster in the area. Washington has maintained economic sanctions against Zimbabwe since 2003 after accusing President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu-PF of stealing elections and human rights abuses.
Source - APA
