The humanitarian impacts of economic sanctions on Burundi

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Recommendations • <strong>The</strong>re should be regular and reliable monitoring an assessment <strong>of</strong> the <strong>humanitarian</strong> impact <strong>of</strong> <strong>economic</strong> <strong>sanctions</strong>. • Regional leaders, prior to the implementation <strong>of</strong> <strong>sanctions</strong>, should agree to an inclusive list <strong>of</strong> <strong>humanitarian</strong> exemptions, drafted in close consultation with the UN. • <strong>The</strong>re should be no restrictions on the quantities <strong>of</strong> essential <strong>humanitarian</strong> items permitted, such as food and medicine. Although quotas were removed in mid-April 1997, there was no reasonable justification for limiting the quantities <strong>of</strong> these essential <strong>humanitarian</strong> items. • In light <strong>of</strong> their serious socio<strong>economic</strong> <strong>impacts</strong>, <strong>sanctions</strong> should be retargeted to better protect Burundi’s vulnerable civilian population. <strong>The</strong> Impacts <strong>of</strong> Sanctions on Humanitarian Assistance Activities Economic <strong>sanctions</strong> created serious difficulties for <strong>humanitarian</strong> agencies operating in Burundi. <strong>The</strong> near-total lack <strong>of</strong> exemptions during the first months <strong>of</strong> the embargo placed many UN and NGO programs at risk. Fuel shortages prevented the delivery <strong>of</strong> supplies, limited access to vulnerable groups, and undermined program supervision. With government capacity to provide basic services to its citizens severely compromised, <strong>humanitarian</strong> agencies were asked to fill program gaps. At the same time, <strong>humanitarian</strong> need was growing due to increasing insecurity and the reduced availability <strong>of</strong> essential items, including food and medicine. Despite this growing need, the lack <strong>of</strong> relief supplies caused by <strong>sanctions</strong> forced many agencies to cut back activities and limit caseloads. Eventual exemptions for certain <strong>humanitarian</strong> items resulted in somewhat improved operational conditions, although considerable difficulties remained. Shipments <strong>of</strong> exempted <strong>humanitarian</strong> items, including many tons <strong>of</strong> medicines, seeds, and fertilizers, xiv
were blocked in neighboring countries for months. Confusion regarding procedures for obtaining approval from sanctioning countries led to long delays in obtaining exempted <strong>humanitarian</strong> supplies. Case-by-case authorization was required for each item to be imported. <strong>The</strong> requirement that all air shipments come via Nairobi and all road transport through Tanzania slowed and complicated the delivery <strong>of</strong> emergency items and added to their cost. Despite many obstacles remaining, most agencies managed to adapt to the <strong>sanctions</strong> regulations and some improvement in the flow <strong>of</strong> relief materials had occurred by March 1997. By mid- April, most UN and NGO requests for exemptions had been granted by the sanctioning countries. Although <strong>sanctions</strong> no longer jeopardized <strong>humanitarian</strong> activities, they remained a serious constraint on agency response to the crisis. Recommendations • More detailed, consistent, and timely information regarding <strong>sanctions</strong> policy and procedures should be made available to operational agencies by sanctioning countries and the UN. • Improved collaboration between the UN and NGOs and the sanctioning countries (as, for example, through the provision <strong>of</strong> policy and technical advice to the Regional Sanctions Coordinating Committee) might have resulted in faster processing <strong>of</strong> exemption requests, better stream lining <strong>of</strong> procedures, and improved coordination. • With the exception <strong>of</strong> the FAO and WFP agricultural reports and the impressive documentation work carried out by IRIN, there was a serious lack <strong>of</strong> reliable information concerning the <strong>humanitarian</strong> situation in Burundi.UN and NGO information systems need to be strengthened since such information is vital to agency programs and advocacy. • Humanitarian agencies should organize and implement an effective <strong>sanctions</strong> impact assessment and monitoring system within weeks <strong>of</strong> the imposition <strong>of</strong> <strong>sanctions</strong>. Such xv
Page 1 and 2: Occasional Paper #29 THE HUMANITARI
Page 3: CONTENTS Preface ..................
Page 6 and 7: ing about political change through
Page 8 and 9: political changes, on the other. As
Page 10 and 11: NOTES 1 Thomas G. Weiss, David Cort
Page 12 and 13: continues to export, through smuggl
Page 16 and 17: a system can be successful only if
Page 18 and 19: NOTES 1 Statement of</stron
Page 20 and 21: imposed, Burundi was a country alre
Page 22 and 23: xxii
Page 24 and 25: UNHCR UNICEF UPRONA WFP WHO United
Page 26 and 27: xxvi
Page 28 and 29: Most exports transit through neighb
Page 30 and 31: whether distinctions between the tw
Page 32 and 33: The Military Coup
Page 34 and 35: indicating that negotiations should
Page 36 and 37: By this time, however, sanc
Page 39 and 40: CHAPTER 2 THE SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS
Page 41 and 42: Burundi also has found ways to smug
Page 43 and 44: eappeared, along with salt from Tan
Page 45 and 46: egan to slow. With the onset <stron
Page 47 and 48: 1100 1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 3
Page 50 and 51: sons, mostly farmers, resulted in e
Page 52 and 53: Rate of inflation
Page 54 and 55: However, CPI increases in the July-
Page 56 and 57: seeds, as well as the normal distri
Page 58 and 59: income. Coffee pro
Page 60 and 61: The embargo has pr
Page 62 and 63: Essential Drugs All human medicines
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target of vaccinat
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from chronic malnutrition. In the c
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Table 2.5: Populations and Observed
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and Food Supply Assessment Mission
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Table 3.1: Chronology of</s
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guidelines for exemptions. 2 <stron
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authorities and UN/NGO agencies gre
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fertilizers and to the potential lo
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items to be imported by the UN, sub
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Nairobi and Bujumbura, as well as t
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cratic problems associated with the
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Tanzania, so that only small quanti
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conflict-prone areas into regroupem
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10 World Food Programme, An Analysi
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CHAPTER 4 THE POLITICAL IMPACTS OF
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the country was in danger and urgen
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genocide deeply affected regional p
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if negotiations between opposing fa
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egion as a whole appears to have co
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to which political parties could ex
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On November 16, Buyoya once again m
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the Arusha IV Regional Summit on Ap
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“[T]he embargo set on Burundi mus
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International reported that “arme
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14 UN Information Service, “Speci
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46 Matthew Bigg, “Burundi defiant
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sustain the momentum of</st
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usiness-like enforcement of
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for prohibiting such items. UN sanc
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enforcement rather than allowed to
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talks and the Arusha Summit. At the
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Mid-August August 16 August 16 Augu
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flights for emergency evacuation so
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December 6 Franco-African Summit, O
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“appeals to the countries <strong
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Rudi Veestraeten Second Secretary,
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Alexandra Humme Arjun Katoch Freder
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114
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116
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elations. It seeks to be a multifac
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The humanitarian impacts of economic sanctions on Burundi

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