Explosive Violence Hits Civilians in Over a Third of the World’s Nations

The Explosive Weapons Monitor publishes its annual report on May 21. It explains that bombing and shelling are affecting civilians in 74 countries—more than a third of the nations worldwide. Civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure are increasing as armed conflicts and geopolitical tensions rise, at the expense of international humanitarian law.

Explosive Weapons Monitor 2024

The Explosive Weapons Monitor 2024 reports that civilians were affected by explosive violence in at least 74 countries and territories. Civilians in 11 countries—the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen—were considered severely impacted.

• Palestine represented more than 60% of all civilian fatalities reported across the globe in 2024.
• Civilian deaths from explosive weapons in countries and territories other than Palestine increased by more than 60% in 2024, notably in Lebanon, Myanmar, Syria, and Ukraine.
• In 2024, civilian infrastructure was severely impacted: Attacks on healthcare, including health facilities and ambulances, increased by 64% (1,857 incidents), attacks on education (schools, etc.) more than doubled (861 incidents in 2024) and attacks on humanitarian aid occurred nearly five times more frequently than in 2023 (1,631 incidents).

“Eighty-three States have endorsed the 2022 Political Declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas—the first formal international recognition that bombing and shelling in towns and cities cause devastating humanitarian consequences. Three years on, States must show how they have translated this instrument into concrete actions to protect civilians from bombing and shelling,” said Alma Taslidžan, HI’s Disarmament and Protection of Civilians Advocacy Manager. “They have a responsibility to speak out vigorously and consistently against the ongoing use of explosive weapons in populated areas—from Gaza and Sudan to Ukraine and beyond. Upholding the declaration means changing military policies, including avoiding the use of these weapons to protect civilians from the consequences of urban warfare."

Civilians at the Mercy of Armed Conflict

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, there were 120 ongoing armed conflicts in 2024. Civilians have been struck by their consequences:

• Nearly 200,000 people died as a result of armed violence in one year (Armed Conflict Survey 2024).
• Violent deaths increased by 37% in 2023-2024 Hundreds of thousands of civilians were injured, maimed, or traumatized by armed violence.
• According to UNHCR, more than 120 million people are forcibly displaced, primarily because of armed conflict.

From bombings in densely populated areas to indiscriminate drone strikes, and the reappearance of banned weapons like anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions—every warning sign is flashing red. The fundamental duty of warring parties to protect civilians appears to be unraveling.

In Gaza alone, the Israeli Armed Forces stated that 40,300 targets were hit between October 2023 and October 2024, leaving no chance to the civilian population, who, for the vast majority, live in densely populated areas in Gaza. Fifty-three thousand people in Gaza were killed, and almost two million were displaced.

“With the increasing attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in 2024, we observe a serious weakening of the principle of civilian protection. This principle states that civilians should be spared and protected from the effects of armed conflict,” said Anne Héry, HI’s Advocacy Director. “What we are witnessing is that parties to conflict do not care — they carry out indiscriminate attacks, and civilians are even increasingly being directly targeted. In some contexts, prolonged sieges are no longer aimed solely at winning battles, but at terrorizing, injuring, and killing populations.”

The Return of Forbidden Weapons

In that context marked by the vanishing of strong universal values and agreements like the international humanitarian law and protection of civilian norms, the return of anti-personnel mines and cluster bombs, and the withdrawal of several States from treaties banning these indiscriminate weapons add a new danger for the populations.

Russia has massively used antipersonnel mines since it started its full invasion of Ukraine in 2022, while there are strong indications that Ukraine also used antipersonnel mines.

Poland, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia are withdrawing from the Ottawa Treaty, which bans antipersonnel mines, and are considering deploying them at their borders. Lithuania has already withdrawn from the Oslo Treaty, which bans cluster munitions. It is worth mentioning that the United States has not joined the Ottawa Convention.

We call the States to:

• Unambiguously reaffirm the fundamental principle of the protection of civilians
• Strengthen the International Humanitarian Law 
• Put an end to the use of prohibited weapons.