Why Sanctions Termination Doesn’t Put an End to Humanitarian Crises: The Case of Sudan

Abstract

A significant literature has demonstrated that the imposition of economic sanctions inflicts socio-economic hardships on civilian populations of target states. However, whether the negative humanitarian consequences can continue over the long term remains unclear. We explore this question in the context of the permanent lifting of comprehensive US sanctions against Sudan in October 2017. Relying on 41 semi-structured, in-depth interviews, we present an explanation about why Sudanese public suffering is likely to endure not only while sanctions are in place, but also long after they are terminated. This research indicates that sanctions’ negative externalities are higher than conventionally believed. It also underlines the necessity of the international community to provide conflict-affected states with pacification and reconstruction assistance, because merely the removal of sanctions is not an effective remedy for chronic vulnerability.