Abstract

The establishment of United Nations is to promote peace, security and development in the international space. The United Nations made use of principles to resolve crisis, war and threats to the international community through international laws. This study explored the humanitarian and military interventions of the UN as a panacea to the Syrian crisis. The study adopted qualitative research method in order to assess the extent to which the humanitarian and military interventions by the United Nations could be a solution to the Syrian conflict. Data for the study was sourced mainly from secondary sources such as desk top study, published books, internet sources, journals, international organisations documentaries, published reports and databases.  The theoretical framework adopted for the research was the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) theory. The study found out that the initial peaceful protest movement against an oppressive regime in Syria had evolved to a complicated multi-layered war, which had further degenerated into a protracted Syrian crisis with no end in sight. The study further found out that the numerous initiatives of the United Nations in attempts to resolve the Syrian crisis only resulted in temporary ceasefire that could not be said to be altogether successful due to the counter aggression of the rebels. The study also established that the Humanitarian intervention which was one of the United Nations attempts in Syria to an extent was more successful due to the assistance it was able to give to the citizens through provision of food, shelter and medical personnel and relief. It was discovered that the military intervention on the other hand, further fuelled the crisis because of its means of force, as such, this did not yield the expected result of resolving the Syrian crisis, but rather it fuelled it.  In the foregoing, the study concluded that the Syrian conflict took a totally different turn from its initial focus at inception due to the poor management of the conflict, and the resultant increase of casualties due to the military intervention. Therefore, the study recommended among other things, that the UNSC should prioritize what is important, which is international security rather than their self-interest. Member States of the United Nations should adhere to international customary law, international humanitarian law and international human right law in order to broker lasting peace in Syria.