case study syria: human right violations in conflict

Refugee Crisis

6.6 mil internally displaced, 5.6 mil Syrian refugees fled the country

Indiscriminate Attacks

Assad's army carried out mass bombings targeting civilians, destroying schools and hospitals

Barrel Bombs

Banned weapons dropped from helicopters, used 36 times in 2018, going against the Geneva Convention

Chemical Weapons

At least 85 confirmed cases (e.g. chlorine gas), considered a war crime and banned under international law

Forced Disappearances + Torture

90,000 people 'disappeared', many held in secret prisons with reports of torture and arbitrary detention

Gender-Based Violence

Widespread rape and sexual assault of women, with Syrian regime forces accused of systematic abuse