The lifting of US and European sanctions on Syria has provided relief to cultural institutions like the Damascus National Museum, which have suffered due to war and lack of resources. With the sanctions in place since 2011, many cultural sites were ravaged and left without international support. The museum’s collection, approximately 100,000 items, has been neglected, with its infrastructure deteriorating due to lack of maintenance. Experts note that sanctions greatly limited funding and support for cultural heritage protection, highlighting a need for immediate strategic plans for reconstruction.
The primary goal of the sanctions, imposed by the US and Europe after the war erupted in 2011, was to put pressure on the former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and his regime. But they also isolated Syria from global financial systems and trade.
The museum's walls and ceilings are cracked. Lack of power and equipment maintenance has impacted temperature control and ventilation, damaging delicate items.
Maybe sometime soon we can expect real help and real collaborations, with a strategic plan. The strategic plan can include immediate, short-, middle- and long-term solutions for the reconstruction of our heritage, which is in very bad, bad, bad shape.
Sanctions, in particular, have severely limited the flow of funding, technical expertise, and essential materials.
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