Explosive Weapons Monitor

Remarks from Alma Taslid?an of Humanity & Inclusion today on the second anniversary of the adoption of the Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons. ?? “The need to protect civilians has never been more pressing. The Political Declaration stands as a vital step in this mission. It offers us a clear, actionable path forward. It is a humanitarian commitment to reshaping norms, policies, and practices that will, in time, make the protection of civilians a priority in every corner of the globe." #StopBombingCivilians

In September, at least 94% of all people reportedly killed or injured in populated areas were civilians. Bulletin: bit.ly/3UHlTXf #EWIPA

?? Vol. 2, Issue 3 of Fragments: Explosive Weapons Monitor Quarterly is out now! Full issue here ?? https://bit.ly/3YIXKk3 ? Bethany Ellis of Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict explores the harm #explosiveweapons caused children in 2023 across the six grave violations against children in armed conflict, according to UN data. ? HI Advocacy and Institutional Relations highlights the importance of enhancing safety management of humanitarian actors, engaging in dialogue between humanitarian and military actors, and tailoring advocacy to protect humanitarian access in #EWIPA contexts. ? Camilla Molyneux of Explosive Weapons Monitor outlines the direct and reverberating effects of the use of #EWIPA in Myanmar, showing that explosive weapons use has been pervasive while the resulting civilian harm has thus far been underreported. ?? Join the Explosive Weapons Monitor mailing list to receive research and updates, including Fragments and monthly bulletins: https://lnkd.in/eGiYsruS

There were at least 129 recorded incidents of #explosiveweapon use affecting #aidaccess, #education & #healthcare in September. The majority occurred in #Palestine and #Lebanon, and also in four additional countries and territories. Bulletin: bit.ly/3UHlTXf

?? NEW! SEPTEMBER 2024 UPDATE: Worldwide, at least 937 incidents of #explosiveweapon use were recorded in 22 countries in September, which resulted in at least 10,262 casualties. About 91% were civilians. Bulletin: bit.ly/3UHlTXf #EWIPA

How can data be collected to improve the understanding of reverberating effects on civilians from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA)? To find out, UNIDIR and the Explosive Weapons Monitor brought together experts from humanitarian, development and peace & security fields to discuss effective measures and practices for enhancing data collection and sharing on these effects. Such efforts are essential for supporting operational responses and informing policies and practices to prevent, mitigate and respond to civilian harm. This new report, by Bárbara Morais and Katherine Young, compiles insights shared during the workshop, highlighting good practices and key examples of data collection tools and initiatives. It also provides recommendations to help translate these insights into policies that can support the implementation of the EWIPA Political Declaration. ?? Learn more at: unidir.org/EWIPA

In August, at least 97% of all people reportedly killed or injured in populated areas were civilians. Bulletin: bit.ly/4eV5EgJ #EWIPA

There were at least 160 recorded incidents of #explosiveweapon use affecting #aidaccess, #education & #healthcare in August. The majority occurred in #Palestine and also in 10 additional countries and territories. Bulletin: bit.ly/4eV5EgJ

?? NEW! AUGUST 2024 UPDATE: Worldwide, at least 789 incidents of #explosiveweapon use were recorded in 23 countries in August, which resulted in at least 4,666 casualties. About 90% were civilians. Bulletin: bit.ly/4eV5EgJ #EWIPA

Since 7 October 2023, Israel's use of explosive weapons in populated areas in response to the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023 has caused immense civilian casualties, widespread devastation, mass displacement and total destruction throughout Gaza. The bombing campaign against Gaza has been one of the heaviest aerial bombardments in contemporary armed conflict: ?? At least 41,615 Palestinians have been killed and 96,359 injured in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. ?? 1.9 million people have been displaced with close to 100% of the population living in poverty according to @ochaopt ?? #EWIPA has had a catastrophic effect on the healthcare system with only 17 out of 36 hospitals are left partially-functioning due to repeated evacuation orders and fear of attack, leaving thousands at risk of complications, or even death according to the UN. When #explosiveweapons are used in populated areas, their impact is devastating, with a staggering proportion of death and injuries inflicted on civilians. They account for more than 90% of casualties, a figure that doesn't include psychological distress and trauma. The use of #bombs, #rockets and #airstrikes in towns and cities bring disastrous consequences and widespread harm to vital infrastructure that civilians depend on such as homes, hospitals, schools, water supplies, as well as the risk of unexploded ordnance. Data from United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) data shows that 66% of structures have been damaged, with over 52,000 structures completely destroyed ?? https://bit.ly/4dsW4Av Beyond Gaza, we are seeing further use of #EWIPA in Israel, Yemen and Lebanon as tensions spill over, with significant levels of civilian harm and severe damage to infrastructure.? Explosive Weapons Monitor’s 2023 report shows that “Israeli armed forces’ use of explosive weapons, including airstrikes and ground-launched weapons, have killed civilians at a rate for which there are few precedents in the last century.” ?? https://bit.ly/ewm2023 The use of #EWIPA in Gaza has caused unprecedented suffering. Extensive bombing is damaging infrastructure, heavily constraining humanitarian access to those in need and essential resources such as water, food and medicine are in critically short supply. Action by endorser states to promote the Declaration and acknowledge harm, and at this time in particular, is vitally needed action to better protect civilians from the effects of explosive weapons and armed conflict. INEW calls on all parties to conflict, including Palestine, Israel, Lebanon and Yemen to stop the use of explosive weapons in populated areas due to the significant harm to civilians, and to endorse the Political Declaration on EWIPA. #StopBombingCivilians