Oil-for-Food Program

The UN Oil-for-Food Program was established by the United Nations Security Council in 1991 following the Persian Gulf War. The program allowed Iraq, under UN supervision, to sell a set amount of oil to purchase essential goods like food and medicine. This was implemented because the UN-imposed economic embargo on Iraq was expected to last longer than initially anticipated, and the Iraqi population required humanitarian aid.1

Iraq initially rejected the offer, viewing it as a violation of national sovereignty. The program began to function in 1996 after Iraq accepted new measures under threat of economic collapse, with oil exports resuming and the first shipments of food and medicine arriving in 1997. The embargo's effectiveness diminished over time, and while some countries called for its complete abolition, others proposed "smart sanctions" targeting specific materials like weapons and military technology. Iraq's trade, which had halted due to the embargo, resumed under UN supervision through this program.12