The Mode of Bashar Assad in Syria in 2019-2020 could kidnap up to $ 100 million by UN Humanitarian Aid by manipulating the course of the Syrian pound. This is evidenced by the data of the American Analytical Center CSIS.
researchers came to this conclusion, analyzing the actions of the Central Bank of Syria, which establishes the course in which international assistance comes into the country.
Before the start of the war for one US dollar in Syria, they were given 50 Syrian pounds, now it costs seventy times more – about 3,500 pounds. Until 2019, the Central Bank of Syria established a course to transfer international aid about the real level, but then he began to underestimate it, reports korrespondent.net.
CSIS analysts believe that this is done consciously, including to replenish the international reserves of Syria due to UN assistance. They considered that in 2020 the UN agency converted a minimum of 113 million dollars for the purchase of goods and services in Syrian pounds. As the money was changed at a disadvantageous official exchange rate, the regime was able to redirect about $ 60 million for their needs. Together with 2019, this amount reaches $ 100 million.
Researchers believe that this practice strengthens the regime and weakens the effectiveness of the sanction policy.