Syria Conflict and its Impact

Abstract

The Syrian war has caused catastrophic damage to the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. Chemical attacks in particular have been tremendously devastating to both humans and wildlife ecosystems. Building on previous research in international humanitarian law (ihl) and the protection of the environment, this article identifies the immediate and long-term impact that the use and storage of chemical weapons has on the environment as against the shortcomings in legal coverage for the same. This article further argues that existing ihl provisions addressing the consequences of environmental warfare are fragmented at best, even when applied to a current case that most would consider to be highly applicable to ihl.