that United States assistance made available for early recovery, reconstruction, or stabilization in Syria should be used in a democratic Syria or in areas of Syria not controlled by the Government of Syria led by Bashar al-Assad or associated forces. 4. Limitation on assistance for areas of Syria controlled by the Government of Syria or associated forces (a) Limitation (1) In general Except as provided in subsection (d), amounts authorized to be appropriated for each of the fiscal years 2018 through 2022 for assistance described in paragraph (2) may be provided under any other provision of law, directly or indirectly, for any area of Syria controlled by the Government of Syria or associated forces only during a period for which a certification described in subsection (b) is in effect. (2) Assistance described Assistance referred to in paragraph (1) is the following: (A) Assistance to enable disaster-affected populations to transition from dependence upon emergency assistance to early recovery and self-reliance, including the restoration of basic services, livelihoods, shelter, and security, and the reintegration of displaced populations. (B) Assistance to carry out stabilization activities for the relevant area. (C) Assistance to carry out reconstruction activities for the relevant area. (b) Certification A certification described in this subsection is a certification submitted by the President to the appropriate congressional committees that contains a determination of the President that the Government of Syria— (1) has ceased any attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure as such, including attacks against medical facilities and personnel, and any indiscriminate use of weapons, including through shelling and aerial bombardment, as demanded in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015)