A British parliamentary committee has criticised the way international sanctions are applied, saying they often hurt the innocent while failing to harm the governments they are aimed at.

The international development parliamentary committee in London said that after almost a decade of sanctions against Iraq, those suffering were the vulnerable, particularly children -- while the elite around President Saddam Hussein continued to enjoy a privileged existence.

The committee also raised concerns over sanctions on Burundi and Sierra Leone and questioned the effectiveness of moves to isolate the Angolan rebel movement, UNITA, and efforts to support opposition towns in Serbia. The committee called for international co-operation to target sanctions much more carefully.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service