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The west is in love with sanctions. Problem is, they don’t work

While sanctions continue to be imposed, the rest of the world is getting on with diplomacy, writes Borzou Daragahi

Sunday 26 December 2021 13:20 GMT
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<p>Russian president Vladimir Putin is increasingly aggressive under sanctions </p>

Russian president Vladimir Putin is increasingly aggressive under sanctions

Last week, the United Nations Security Council announced a relaxation of sanctions on Afghanistan. It was an attempt to smooth the flow of humanitarian aid into one of the world’s most benighted nations and curb the suffering of millions of people dependent on international help for food and medicine. Nearly 23 million Afghans face acute food insecurity and 8.7 million are on the verge of famine, according to the Red Cross.

The easing of sanctions was welcomed by relief organisations worried they would run afoul of international law by having dealings with the country’s new Taliban masters. “Without a clear humanitarian exception, UN sanctions will remain an obstacle to the major humanitarian scale-up that the Afghan people need right now,” aid groups said.

The sanctions were put in place to punish Afghan warlords and extremists. Instead they were very clearly hindering aid to ordinary people, worsening their plight. But it’s not just Afghanistan. In many of the countries subject to sanctions, they bring about the opposite result. The efficacy of these sanctions merits serious scrutiny.

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