The United States on Monday temporarily eased sanction restrictions targeting Syria to facilitate transactions with the Middle Eastern country's interim government and the flow of humanitarian aid.

The authorization comes after rebels toppled the Syrian government last month and is intended to allow humanitarian groups to operate more freely without running afoul of U.S. sanctions.

The United States has taken a cautious step toward helping the new rebel-led government in Syria. After more than a decade of civil war, the U.S. Treasury Department announced on Monday, January 6, that certain restrictions on aid to Syria would be lifted.