At The American University of Rome, conversations about global policy aren't simply abstract. They're grounded in the realities of practitioners working at the front lines of international affairs.
During a recent guest lecture titled “Sanction Exemption for Food Security: A Way Forward?”, Dr. Sara Moussavi, Head of Unit for Operational Research at the World Food Programme, invited students to examine one of the most complex dilemmas in contemporary humanitarian policy: how economic sanctions intersect with food security.
Sanctions are often framed as a non-military tool for influencing political behavior. Yet, as Dr. Moussavi explained, their effects frequently extend beyond governments and decision-makers. In fragile contexts, the consequences can ripple through entire populations. While humanitarian exemptions are written into many sanctions regimes to safeguard access to essential goods such as food and medicine, the reality on the ground is rarely straightforward.
Dr. Moussavi outlined how fragmented regulations, uneven coordination, and compliance concerns among private actors can create significant barriers to delivering aid. Even when policies are designed with protective intent, implementation can falter. The result is a widening gap between what is envisioned at the policy level and what communities experience in practice.
Drawing on her extensive field experience, she shared examples that underscored how these challenges complicate emergency response efforts and, at times, intensify existing vulnerabilities. Students intent on developing careers in this field, she stated, should always think critically about unintended consequences and never forget to consider the human dimension behind international policy frameworks.
During an engaged Q&A session, students raised questions about the broader effectiveness of sanctions, their ethical implications, and the evolving demands placed on humanitarian professionals. Dr. Moussavi spoke candidly about the skills required in the field today: rigorous analytical thinking, clarity in communication, and the resilience to operate in rapidly shifting and often uncertain environments.
By welcoming practitioners whose work shapes global outcomes, AUR creates space for students to grapple with complex questions in meaningful ways - strengthening the link between classroom study and the international conversations that define our time.
Dr. Sara Moussavi is an experienced development practitioner with the United Nations (e.g. World Food Programme) and lecturer in political science at John Cabot University. She is an expert in humanitarian and development programming, food security, and sanctions, with a keen interest in addressing complex humanitarian and political crises. Her research interests include harnessing development resources through national tax revenues in growing economies and developing youth employment programmes.
Over the past twenty years, Dr. Moussavi has engaged in humanitarian and development operations, including Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, the Philippines, Nepal, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Ukraine.
AUR student Elena Franco contributed to this article