United Nations Resolutions 661: Intervention, Devastation and the Internal Collapse of 1990s Iraq

Abstract

In 1945, the United Nations was created to uphold international peace and security. In order to ensure prosperity for all members of the international community, the United Nations implements economic sanctions against countries that violate pre-determined standards. Such was the case in August of 1990; when the United Nations created UN Resolution 661 in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. What followed was a 13-year sanctions regime against Iraq that created a humanitarian crisis, specifically in the areas of healthcare, infrastructure, and domestic economy. The use of sanctions by the United Nations violated their purported goal of promoting peace and prosperity for all. Instead, sanctions create more instability for the states they are placed on and the UN continues to prey on vulnerable populations by instituting sanctions, as happened in Iraq with UN Resolution 661.