Restoring Norms in Prolonged Conflicts: The Erosion of International Humanitarian Law in Syria

Abstract

This paper examines the issues of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) presented by the Syrian Civil War particularly its inability to safeguard civilians and maintain order in a protracted and complex war. Syrian war has been associated with numerous IHL breaches, including civilian building attacks, chemical weaponry, and aid blocking. These crimes have remained unpunished by political deadlocks particularly in the UN Security Council. This qualitative study is based on the use of a case study. The findings reveal that IHL becomes powerless when humanitarian regulations are given way to the politics of interests. A gradual response by the government, to normalize the violations and lessen the responsibility of the IHL, making it less efficient in deterring. Reforms are needed to restore IHL to its effectiveness, which should include depoliticized enforcement, greater responsibility on all parties, and improved legal provisions of involvement of non-state actors in protracted and asymmetric wars.