Explosive Weapons Killed More Than 22,600 Civilians in 2025, New Report Finds

Today, on the occasion of the publication of the Explosive Weapons Monitor 2025 annual report, Humanity & Inclusion (HI) calls on States to reaffirm the fundamental principle of civilian protection, strengthen International Humanitarian Law, and end the use of prohibited weapons.

According to the Explosive Weapons Monitor's annual report, 22,600 civilian deaths caused by explosive weapons were recorded in 2025; a 21% reduction from 2024's record of 28,600. Although ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon almost entirely explain this improvement, civilians are still victims of bombing in these conflicts. Everywhere else, the toll is rising: More countries, more weapon types, more civilian services are being destroyed. Explosive weapons caused widespread civilian suffering in at least 65 countries and territories in 2025. 

Staggering Figures  

• 22,600+ civilian deaths from explosive weapons in 2025 

• 65 countries & territories affected at least 

• 56% of global deaths attributed to Israeli armed forces 

• 85% of all civilian harm incidents caused by 29 state armed forces 

• 2,541 attacks on humanitarian aid — up 52% from 2024 

• 1,416 attacks on schools — a 64% increase. 

HI Advocacy Director, Anne Héry, states,

“Vital services wiped out by systematic bombing and shelling. The use of explosive weapons in populated areas is systematically dismantling civilians' access to the basic services that keep them alive: Schools, hospitals, aid convoys, water pipes, and food markets are all being destroyed at increasing rates, in more places, by more actors. We are particularly shocked to see that more and more countries and territories – 65 - are concerned by this practice.” 

The Surge of Drone  

Air-launched weapons — increasingly drones - accounted for 67% of all incidents causing civilian harm. That trend is growing, with drone use in attacks on schools up 358% in Ukraine alone, and drone strikes on displaced people camps in the Palestinian Territory multiplied by 5 (from 64 in 2024 to 303 incidents in 2025). 

Attacks on Essential Services 

Every sector is under attack from explosive weapons, and the situation has worsened:  

• Humanitarian aid: 2,541 explosive weapon attacks occurred on aid operations in 2025, a 52% rise from 2024. About 90% were in the Palestinian Territory. At least 108 aid workers were killed. 

• Education: Attacks on schools and universities increased by 64% — from 865 incidents in 2024 to 1,416 in 2025, spread across 27 countries. In Ukraine, Russian drone attacks on schools rose by 358%. In Colombia, a drone struck a tented hospital operating as an emergency school facility. 

• Healthcare: 1,272 incidents hit hospitals, clinics, and ambulances across 22 countries. Ukraine saw a 20% increase driven by Russian drone strikes. 267 health workers were killed. 806 health facilities damaged or destroyed. 

• Food & water: 1,082 food-system attacks across 15 countries, including 190 market strikes and 154 agricultural land incidents. 87 attacks on water infrastructure in 15 countries left communities reliant on expensive or unsafe alternatives. 

“Every destroyed school, hospital, market, water system, or humanitarian convoy represents far more than damaged infrastructure—it represents opportunities lost, futures disrupted, and communities pushed further from recovery,” said Alma Taslidzan, HI’s Disarmament Advocacy Manager. “Long after the explosions end, civilians continue to live with the consequences of disrupted healthcare, interrupted education, damaged livelihoods, and the daily challenge of rebuilding their lives. For many, the consequences of explosive weapons become part of everyday life and suffering for years to come.” 

Deadliest Contexts in 2025 vs. 2024 

Here is the list of the countries most concerned by armed violence:  

States are the Main Culprits — Including Signatories 

State armed forces were responsible for 85% of all incidents causing civilian harm — over 17,300 incidents (vs. 3,090 attributed to non-state actors). In five different contexts, state armed forces were responsible for more than 1,000 incidents: The Occupied Palestinian Territory, Myanmar, Ukraine, and Russia. 

The number of endorsing states of the 2022 Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons that were implicated in civilian harm rose from five to eight in 2025. They include Cambodia, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, the Republic of Korea, Somalia, Türkiye, and the United States. 

The number of countries harmed by endorsing states' explosive weapons use jumped from 5 in 2024 to 13 in 2025 — a sign that political commitments are, in these cases, not translating into a changed military practice. 

Social Media Undermining Hospital Protections 

The report documents how online narratives following attacks on hospitals — in Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, and Ukraine — actively eroded international humanitarian law protections. 

Three Recurring Patterns Emerged: 

• Allegations that hospitals were used by armed actors (used to normalize attacks), 

• Hostility toward humanitarian institutions like the UN and WHO, 

• And dehumanizing rhetoric against ethnic or national groups. 

The report's researchers warn that "harmful online narratives more commonly emerged through selective interpretation and politicization of real attacks" — not fabrication — making them harder to counter. 

Spokespersons are available for interviews upon request.