NEW YORK—As the Trump administration pursues a two-track North Korea strategy—combining maximum economic pressure with engagement—a new report contends the global sanctions regime has directly contributed to the deaths of innocent civilians and calls for the removal of restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council, the U.S. and other countries in response to North Korean nuclear-weapons development has resulted in “an almost total ban on any DPRK-related...