The Tragic Consequence of Sanctions and COVID-19 on Yemen and Iran

Since the outbreak of Coronavirus, 467,000 people have died globally (as of 22/06/2020). Western countries have been hit hardest with the US and UK being amongst the highest levels of deaths in the entire world. However, there is an increasing number of countries that are subject to economic sanctions who are being hit harder than previously by COVID-19. 

 

Iran is the obvious example, with incredibly strict UN and US sanctions that limit what can be imported and bought. The sanctions do not limit the purchase of medical supplies however, the majority of such supplies are paid for through the national bank which is heavily restricted in what it can be used for to buy items. As a result, the majority of purchases of medical supplies are blocked at the payment stage, thus limiting the ability for the Iranian healthcare system to support the rise in infections and those who need intensive care. It has been shown clearly in the West, especially in the US and Italy that there is a lack of ventilators, vital to keep those who suffer worst from the virus, available. With sanctions in place, Iran has not been able to provide enough beds and ventilators to support the rising cases. 

Iran has been massively affected by COVID as a result of harsh sanctions 

Is it all bad news? 

No, it is not. There have been some very quick reactions to the virus from other western, mostly European nations to ensure that humanitarian supplies have still been able to reach Iran despite the strict US sanctions – much to Donald Trumps' annoyance. The creation of INSTEX has allowed European firms to continue to trade with Iran, as per the previous nuclear agreements, without being subjected to the US sanctions. The first transaction as medical supplies announced on 31^st March 2020 to help the state fight the coronavirus. 

Following this, the US announced that it was to allow the central Iranian Bank to be used to buy medical and humanitarian equipment to help battle the virus, despite the sanctions still being in place. 

 

But…

 

This has not been the case globally. States that are suffering heavily as a possible result of sanctions are Venezuela, Sudan, and Yemen. The most horrific case has been Yemen, where the civil war, the use of chemical weapons, and the famine have already diminished the state’s ability to have any resemblance to a healthcare plan. The coronavirus has naturally hit those most susceptible to infections and those who are weakest – something, unfortunately, more common than not in Yemen. This combined with the significant lack of virus testing in the region has led to aid agencies simply assuming that the virus is spreading through community infection and that there is not much that can be done to mitigate it. This is exacerbated by the constant bombing by Saudi Arabia that has demolished many hospitals, food facilities, and people’s homes – leading to tightly packed clusters of refugees thus leading to an exponential rise in infections. Jens Laerke, from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) told the BBC in March that Yemen’s healthcare was “in effect collapsed” as a result of the conflict and that the rise of COVID-19 deaths was almost certainly higher than reported given millions of Yemenis are in refugee camps and the vast majority of the population relies on humanitarian aid to keep them fed and cared for. This terribly sad situation is not helped by the strict sanctions in place from the UN which limit transit as well as the sales and movement of anything related to the military. These hoops that must be jumped through to get resources and aid to Yemen have led to a lack of ventilators and medical aid to help tackle the virus. 

Yemen is being devastated by COVID and a Civil War 

It is clear that there is a fine line to walk for the international community. Do we continue with sanctions that evidently are making it harder for states to tackle COVID-19 so as to maintain a tight leash economically on the world ‘ vagrants’ such as Venezuela and Iran, or do we relax the sanctions in the current climate and show the world that actually the west is not a cutthroat society who only care about themselves? This usually breaks the west into two camps. The US, who wish to keep the pressure on these countries with no thought to the lives of the innocents who live there, so as to maintain dominance over the governments. Then there is the rest of the west, especially the more liberal states, such as the Scandinavian countries, Norway, Sweden and Finland, etc who have expressed a belief that there is more to international politics than sanctions and restrictions and have shown that the best way to tackle issues like this is through humanity, not an abuse of power. In my opinion, there is no doubt that there should be sanctions on states such as Venezuela and Iran, but there should always be room to show empathy in the wake of suffering. If anything, the west is advancing its cause by supplying medical and humanitarian aid to such countries as it shows who the ‘good guys are’. There are many people who would disagree with me on almost everything I have said, but the only way, in my opinion, to continue pushing the envelope of global improvement is to extend an offering of help when it is most needed. This does not mean getting rid of all the sanctions in place in these countries, in fact far from it. It means being proportional to maintain global security and reduce suffering. 

 

I believe that COVID-19 has presented not just the west but every state with a chance to help out one another, battling a virus that has affected everyone, no matter their colour, religion, or nationality. It has presented an opportunity to reduce emissions, to reignite community spirit, and has allowed people to rediscover compassion for one another. Hopefully, the world will take some notes and maybe, just maybe change will happen for the better in the future. 

 

 

Thanks for reading my new article! I know I went on a bit of a rant at the end and it may have seemed a bit ‘blissfully optimistic’, but why not try and share a bit of positivity! As always, any interaction with my blog would be amazing and really helps me! So, comment your views and subscribe for email updates! Thanks!