The United States has quietly authorized a Qatari initiative to finance salaries for over a million Syrian public-sector workers, signaling a cautious shift in Western engagement with Syria following the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad.

The funding plan, approved by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), is set to provide salary increases of up to 400% for civil servants in a nation devastated by 14 years of war, sanctions, and economic mismanagement.

A Syrian financial source confirmed that Qatari funds will begin flowing next month, though payments will exclude employees of the interior and defense ministries due to Western concerns about the new Syrian leadership’s ties to former extremist groups. The initiative follows Syria’s recent free market reforms, which aim to dismantle decades of protectionist policies under Assad. The Syrian government plans to supplement the Qatari funds with domestic resources to cover additional public workers.

The move comes after Saudi Arabia and Qatar cleared Syria’s debts to the World Bank in April, unlocking access to international financial aid. Qatar, hesitant to proceed without U.S. approval, is awaiting written confirmation from OFAC, expected within days, to finalize the payment plan.

Despite this progress, uncertainty surrounding U.S. sanctions continues to complicate international efforts to engage with Damascus. Humanitarian and financial institutions have called for clearer exemptions to navigate the complex legal landscape. Western officials remain cautious, particularly about Syria’s security apparatus, even after the dissolution of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate, in January.

With 90% of Syrians living in poverty, according to UN data, the Qatari initiative is seen as a critical step toward economic stabilization. Analysts view it as a potential model for future international cooperation with Syria, balancing economic recovery with ongoing concerns about security and human rights.

The initiative underscores the challenges facing Syria’s new administration under Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi al-Sharaa, which has prioritized rebuilding state institutions and restoring public trust to address the country’s deep economic crisis. (ILKHA)