Phosphorus bombs

In news– Ukraine has accused Russian forces of launching white phosphorus bomb attacks in its eastern region of Lugansk recently.

About phosphorus bombs-

White phosphorus(WP) bombs/munitions are weapons that use one of the common allotropes of the chemical element phosphorus.
WP is used in smoke, illumination, and incendiary munitions, and is commonly the burning element of tracer ammunition.
It has been used since World War I both as an incendiary agent and for creating smoke screens or smoke signals.
Munitions containing white phosphorus were used extensively in World War II , the Vietnam War, and the Korean War, including as an anti-personnel weapon.

Other common names for white phosphorus munitions include WP and the slang terms Willie Pete and Willie Peter, which are derived from William Peter.

White phosphorus is an incendiary and toxic chemical substance used as a filler in a number of different munitions that can be employed for a variety of military purposes.
Once ignited, phosphorus in the bombs burns at temperatures above 800 degrees Celsius and it causes fires that can spread over several hundred square kilometres.
White phosphorus burns in air and causes severe burns upon contact with skin or eyes. White phosphorus smoke will also cause eye and respiratory tract irritation.
It can produce several chemicals when it comes in contact with the skin, such as phosphorus pentoxide.
Phosphorus pentoxide reacts with water in the skin and produces phosphoric acid that is highly corrosive.

The burn injuries caused by white phosphorus can damage underlying tissues that delay the healing process.

WP can be systemically absorbed by the body and cause damage to the internal organs.
The particles of white phosphorus may remain in the wound and reignite when in contact with the air.

International laws on its usage-

White phosphorus munitions are not considered a chemical weapon under the Chemical Weapons Convention, and their primary aim is to create thick smoke that can hide military forces or mark targets.
However, International law prohibits the use of white phosphorus shells in heavily populated civilian areas, but allows them in open spaces to be used as cover for troops.
Under international law, white phosphorus is considered an incendiary weapon, defined by Protocol III of the Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons as “any weapon or munition which is primarily designed to set fire to objects or to cause burn injury to persons through the action of flame, heat or combination thereof, produced by a chemical reaction of a substance delivered on the target.”
The protocol prohibits using incendiary weapons against military targets located among civilians, although the United States has not signed it and is not bound by it.
In addition to it, the United Nations also consider White phosphorus as an incendiary or chemical weapon.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)-

The Chemical Weapons Convention of 1997 created an international body to adopt and uphold the provisions of the non-proliferation treaty, which forbids signatory states from using, stockpiling, or transferring chemical weapons.
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is allowed to conduct inspections to ensure that signatory states are abiding by the convention.
The OPCW reports on its inspections and other operations to the UN through the Secretary General’s office, as per the 2001 Relationship Agreement between the OPCW and the UN.
The Nobel Peace Prize was given to the organisation in 2013 “for its systematic efforts to eradicate chemical weapons.”

Further reading: https://journalsofindia.com/indian-cag-as-external-auditor-of-opcw/