Beijing: Following devastating earthquakes that killed more than 10,000 people in the region earlier this week, American sanctions against Syria have hampered relief efforts, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, which urged the United States to lift the sanctions and "unlock the doors for humanitarian aid."

During her daily press briefing on Wednesday, spokeswoman for the foreign ministry Mao Ning was asked to comment on the sanctions. She cited Washington's history of intervening in Syria and the serious consequences for common people.

She added that "frequent [US] military strikes and harsh economic sanctions have caused huge civilian casualties and taken away the means to subsistence of the Syrians" in addition to "years of war and turmoil." She said that "the devastating earthquakes - on top of years of war and turmoil - have left Syria in a terrible humanitarian crisis."

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Following Monday's earthquakes, which shook Turkey and Syria and claimed thousands of lives in both countries, humanitarian organisations like the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the US-based Arab American-Anti-Discrimination Committee have pleaded with US officials to lift the sanctions. In Turkey, more than 8,500 people died and more than 50,000 were injured, whereas in Syria, at least 1,260 people died and 2,300 were also injured.

There is an urgent need for quick relief because many residents are currently trapped beneath collapsed buildings, but according to humanitarian organisations, US sanctions have only made things harder.

Due to restrictions brought on by the harsh sanctions, the evacuation process and rescue operations are limited. The biggest obstacles to relief efforts, according to SARC president Khaled Hboubati, are US sanctions and a lack of heavy machinery and equipment needed to lift the rubble.

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The Syrian government has allegedly "brutalised" its own citizens during its ten-year conflict with armed jihadist groups seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, according to the State Department, which has flatly refused to consider ending the economic sanctions.

Mao continued by denouncing ongoing US military operations in Syria and complaining that the US military is stealing the nation's energy resources at an alarming rate.

"As we speak, US troops are still present in Syria's main oil-producing areas. More than 80% of Syria's oil production has been looted, and grain stocks have been smuggled out of Syria and burned. All of this has exacerbated Syria's humanitarian crisis, she said.

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Damascus has criticised the US military presence on numerous occasions and demanded an end to what it sees as an illegitimate occupation of its sovereign territory, but Washington has steadfastly refused to budge. In the oil-rich northeast of Syria, under Kurdish control, as well as along its southern border, where they are embedded with Arab rebel groups, there are still just under 1,000 US soldiers operating.