Oil-for-Food Programme

The Oil-for-Food Programme (OIP) was established by the <a href="/facts/United_Nations/fgXLnmgT">United Nations</a> in 1995 (under <a href="/facts/United_Nations_Security_Council/ytwaz2e4">UN Security Council</a> <a href="/facts/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_986/Hr4NPGSp">Resolution 986</a>) to allow <a href="/facts/Iraq/pqYSFJw8">Iraq</a> to sell <a href="/facts/Petroleum/IQV0bHVd">oil</a> on the world market in exchange for food, medicine, and other humanitarian needs for ordinary Iraqi citizens without allowing Iraq to boost its military capabilities.
The programme was introduced by United States President <a href="/facts/Bill_Clinton/x5mwYkVh">Bill Clinton</a>'s <a href="/facts/Clinton_Administration/jcvLTFKP">administration</a> in 1995, as a response to arguments that ordinary Iraqi citizens were inordinately affected by the international <a href="/facts/Economic_sanctions/fKzSIKvR">economic sanctions</a> aimed at the <a href="/facts/Demilitarized_zone/bsoYS69v">demilitarisation</a> of <a href="/facts/Saddam_Hussein/nHnSodgy">Saddam Hussein</a>'s Iraq, imposed in the wake of the first <a href="/facts/Gulf_War/6LdLnGdo">Gulf War</a>. The sanctions were discontinued on 21 November 2003 after the <a href="/facts/2003_invasion_of_Iraq/V9zysaV1">U.S. invasion of Iraq</a>, and the humanitarian functions turned over to the <a href="/facts/Coalition_Provisional_Authority/s9NkuNxs">Coalition Provisional Authority</a>.
The programme was de facto terminated in 2003 and de jure terminated in 2010. Although the sanctions were effective, there were revelations of widespread corruption in the programme and abuse of its funds.

Oil-for-Food Programme open-in-new

Oil-for-Food Programme