Explosive weapons have caused “unprecedented” devastation for civilians in 2023, according to Handicap International

The number of civilians killed by these weapons is up 122% compared to 2022, according to a report from the NGO.

Some 75 countries and territories, or a third of the globe, were affected in 2023 by the use of explosive weapons. These weapons caused a level of damage “unprecedented” on civil infrastructure and populations, according to Handicap International’s annual report published Monday April 22. The number of civilians killed in 2023 is up 122% compared to 2022, according to the report, which also identifies a very sharp increase in attacks against health infrastructure (763 incidents, +12%), education (+ 80%) or humanitarian aid.

Nine countries or territories are particularly affected, according to Handicap International: Lebanon, Myanmar, Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen. The war in Gaza, where the Israeli army is leading an offensive in response to the Hamas attack on October 7, weighs heavily in the increase in figures, notes the report, citing World Bank data according to which more than 60 % of housing has been destroyed or damaged in the Palestinian territory.

“Absolutely devastating consequences for civilians”

“The use of explosive weapons in urban environments has absolutely devastating consequences for civilians”, also underlines to AFP Gilles Lordet, member of the NGO. The report notes that civilians represent 90% of victims of explosive weapons used in cities. Besides the dead, “they cause massive population displacements and have long-term consequences such as soil contamination” by mines or unexploded ordnance.

An international meeting opens Monday in Norway to discuss the implementation of a political declaration aimed at better protecting civilians against the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, signed by 86 countries. Twenty-eight of them are among the countries affected by the use of explosive weapons, notes Handicap International. Israel or Russia are not signatories to the declaration.