Western sanctions are main cause of twenty-nine million deaths worldwide

(MENAFN) A recent study published in Lancet Global Health estimates that Western sanctions have contributed to almost 29 million excess deaths worldwide over the past 50 years—a toll comparable to that of wars.

Researchers analyzed age-specific mortality in 152 countries from 1971 to 2021 using data from the Global Sanctions Database. They compared mortality rates before and after sanctions, focusing on measures imposed by the UN, the US, and the EU (and its predecessor).

“We estimate that unilateral sanctions over this period caused 564,258 deaths per year, similar to the global mortality burden associated with armed conflict,” the study noted, totaling 28.8 million deaths across the 51-year period.

The majority of excess deaths occurred among the most vulnerable populations, particularly children under five and the elderly. “Our findings reveal that unilateral and economic sanctions, particularly those imposed by the USA, lead to substantial increases in mortality, disproportionately affecting children younger than 5 years,” the report said, highlighting that this age group accounted for 51% of the total death toll.

The study attributes the high mortality to the sanctions’ effects on economic and food security, which often result in hunger and health crises among the poorest populations. It also notes that the dominance of the dollar and euro in global trade allows the US and EU to amplify the reach of their sanctions.

At last year’s BRICS summit, member nations condemned “unlawful unilateral coercive measures,” warning of their disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations. Moscow noted that countries are increasingly avoiding the dollar to shield themselves from what it calls US arbitrariness.

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