What is it about?
This study looks at how international sanctions - measures used to pressure governments - affect ordinary people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable. These people often have no say in their government’s actions but suffer the most when sanctions are imposed. By reviewing 52 academic studies, the research shows that sanctions can seriously harm people’s health, education, and income, and often make inequality worse. The study also finds that most existing research focuses on a few extreme cases, like Iran and Iraq, and often lacks proper comparison groups - making it hard to draw broader conclusions. This is the first study to systematically review how sanctions affect poverty using a people-centered approach. It provides a clear summary of what we know so far and points out where more research is needed.
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Why is it important?
This is the first systematic review that evaluates the humanitarian consequences of international sanctions through a poverty-focused lens grounded in the capability approach. Unlike previous literature, which often centers on a few extreme cases (e.g., Iran or Iraq) or uses narrow economic indicators, this study broadens the view to include impacts on health, education, inequality, and general well-being. It uses a transparent, replicable PRISMA method and highlights major gaps in current research, such as the lack of representative control groups and limited geographic and thematic scope. This research is especially timely in light of the increasing use of sanctions in global politics - targeting countries like Russia, Venezuela, and North Korea - raising urgent questions about their ethical implications and unintended human costs. As policymakers and international institutions debate the legitimacy of sanctions as a "humane" tool of diplomacy, this review provides critical evidence that challenges that assumption and calls for more accountable, evidence-based decision-making.
Perspectives
From my perspective, this publication reflects a deep concern for the overlooked human costs of economic sanctions, especially on those with the least power to influence political change. I hope it encourages both researchers and policymakers to critically reassess the widespread belief that sanctions are a humane form of international pressure.
Anna Franziska Koehler
Universitat der Bundeswehr Munchen
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Inhumane diplomacy: a systematic review on the effects of international sanctions on poverty, International Trade Politics and Development, August 2024, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/itpd-02-2024-0008.
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