ExplosivE sTATEs Monitoring explosive violence in 2014 Contents Introduction 1 Key Findings 3 Key Terms 7 2014 Overview 9 Incidents of explosive violence recorded by AOAV in 2014 13 Explosive weapons in populated areas 16 Explosive Weapons Types 20 Report by Air-launched explosive weapons 21 Jane Hunter and Robert Perkins Editor Ground-launched explosive weapons 25 Iain Overton With thanks to Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) 30 Saara Jaffrey-Roberts, Steve Smith, Claudia Xavier-Bonifay © Copyright Action on Armed Violence (May 2015) Conclusion 34 Cover illustration Men run from an explosion after an Israeli air strike hits a house in Gaza City, © Recommendations 35 23 August 2014. ( Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images) Infographics Methodology 36 Sarah Leo Design and printing Notes 38 Tutaev Design Clarifications or corrections from interested parties are welcome. Research and publication funded by the Government of Norway, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 1 | ACTION ON ARMED VIOLENCE MONITORING EXPLOSIVE VIOLENCE 2014 | 2 Introduction Crucially, AOAV’s data can only ever show part of the suffering to civilians across the world. Explosive Ultimately, civilians in Syria, Gaza, Israel, Afghanistan, Libya, eastern Ukraine picture of this civilian harm. It tries to capture some of States shows the urgent need for action to combat the immediate effects; the deaths and the physical in- and reduce the harm these weapons continue to and other conflict hotspots pay the price when the shells aimed at military juries. It cannot touch upon the destruction of homes cause. targets end up hitting homes, hospitals and schools. This simply has to stop. or a lifetime of possessions. It cannot understand the These explosive weapons are designed for open battlefields, not built-up psychological suffering inflicted, or the life-changing urban areas […] This is not about the weapons themselves – it’s about where economic deprivation that can follow an explosive. Many more people are affected by explosive weapons and how they are used. It took 40 minutes but it felt a life- than can possibly be hinted at in these casualty figures.3 ICRC President1 Peter Maurer, time. I lived all my life in the house October 2014 AOAV’s data is not an attempt to capture every casualty my father built. It was our corner of of every incident around the world. No claims are made paradise, our ‘swallow’s nest’. Now For four years AOAV has tracked the use of explosive One consistent pattern endures throughout the years that this sample of data, taken from English-language it is destroyed. I’ve no idea what weapons around the world. Since 2011, almost 150,000 AOAV has been tracking explosive violence. When media reporting, can represent the total impact of will come next. people have been reported killed or injured by weapons these weapons are used in populated areas, they explosive weapons on civilians in 2014. Lyuda, like‘‘ rockets, mortars and car bombs. massively elevate the threat to civilians. Even when resident of Luhansk, eastern Ukraine, explosive weapons were targeted at a military objec- The last twelve months have seen explosive weapons, 2 August 2014 Year on year, the casualty toll has mounted with 2014 tive in 2014, their wide-area effect often meant that both manufactured and improvised, bring appalling being the worst that AOAV has recorded so far. bystanders were caught by the blast or hit by pro- Civilian casualties from explosive weapons are now jected fragments. The grim reality is that civilians in 52%higher than 2011 levels. countries around the world cannot feel safe even in their own homes. ‘‘ Explosive violence worsened in its spread and severity in 2014. Civilian deaths and injuries from these weapons Explosive weapons: increased by 5% from 2013. Every day in 2014 there Weapons that share common characteristics was an average of 90 civilian casualties, including 29 causing deaths, injuries, and damage by project- civilians who died daily at the hands of these weapons. ing explosive blast, heat and often fragmentation around a point of detonation. These weapons in- Civilians continue to bear the burden of explosive clude a variety of munitions such as air-dropped violence. In total AOAV recorded 41,847 deaths bombs, mortars, improvised explosive devices and injuries in 2014, 78% of whom were civilians. (IEDs) and artillery shells. Civilians were killed and wounded as they slept, shopped, worshipped or travelled. The wide-area effects of some explosive weapons In Explosive States, AOAV explores the countries and have been of concerning prominence in 2014. Multiple contexts where civilians were most at risk from the rocket launchers, a devastating feature of the Syrian use of explosive weapons. More than 50 different war in previous years, were used by competing parties countries saw casualties last year, places as diverse to pummel eastern villages and towns in Ukraine. These as Ukraine, India and the Central African Republic. weapons, like the notorious Grad, launch a barrage of unguided munitions in the space of seconds, covering For the second year running, Iraq and Syria were the a wide area. two countries with the highest numbers of civilian casu- alties from explosive violence. The suffering of civilians They clearly have no place being used in places where in these countries was compounded by new crises in civilians are concentrated. Yet they, and other equally 2014. Desperate humanitarian emergencies have emer- terrible weaponry, were often the drivers of civilian ged from the widespread use of explosive weapons harm in markets, schools, neighbourhoods and places Remnant of a direct-fire rocket-assisted projectile outside Fallujah General Hospital in Anbar Province, Iraq, 13 January 2014 in populated areas in Gaza, Ukraine and Nigeria. of worship in 2014. (Human Rights Watch, © private) 3 | ACTION ON ARMED VIOLENCE MONITORING EXPLOSIVE VIOLENCE 2014 | 4 Key findings ovErviEw • Over 10,000 civilian casualties popUlATED ArEAs Ground-launched explosive weapons from explosive weapons were • In 2014, 92% of casualties in populated areas • Ground-launched explosive weapons were were reported as civilians. This is compared responsible for 8,088 civilian casualties in There was a 5% rise in the recorded in Iraq for the second to 34% in other areas. 2014 (25% of the total recorded). number of civilian casualties year running. and an 11% rise in incidents • On average 16 people were killed or injured • 90% of casualties were civilians. This is higher Seven countries and territories in every incident of explosive weapon use in than the proportion recorded from IED attacks involving explosive weapons • populated areas. In other areas in 2014 the (85%), and aerial attacks (61%). in 2014 compared to 2013. had over 1,000 civilian deaths average number was four. and injuries in 2014. In 2013 • Mortars caused 3,000 civilian casualties in 15 there were five such countries. • Markets saw 4,245 civilian casualties in 2014, countries. This is a 53% increase from 2013. • AOAV recorded 41,847 casual- a 15% increase from 2013. ties (people who were killed or • Six civilians were killed on average per attack injured) by explosive weapons • Gaza, Ukraine and Nigeria saw • Child casualties of explosive weapons were with multiple rocket launchers in Ukraine. in 2,702 incidents in 2014. In the biggest increases in civilian reported in 28 countries and territories in 2014. iEDs 2013, AOAV had recorded casualties from explosive ExplosivE wEApon TypEs • IEDs were responsible for 17,098 civilian 37,809 casualties from 2,430 weapons. casualties, 52% of the total recorded in 2014. incidents. Air-launched explosive weapons Air-launched explosive weapons were respon- 85% of those killed and injured by IEDs were Incidents were recorded in 58 • • • sible for 18% of recorded civilian casualties civilians. countries and territories around • Civilian casualties rose by 5% (5,868 civilian deaths and injuries). in 2014 from 2013. This is the the world. • There was a 26% decrease in the number of third consecutive year in which • Civilian casualties from aerial explosive weapons civilian casualties caused by IEDs compared Civilian casualties from aerial in 2014 almost tripled from 2013 levels (when to 2013 (17,098 down from 22,829). recorded civilian casualties • 2,012 deaths and injuries were recorded). explosive weapons in 2014 al- of explosive violence have • Three of the five deadliest IED attacks in 2014 increased. most tripled from 2013 levels. • 17 countries and territories saw casualties in took place in Nigeria. 2014. Almost half (43%) of civilian casualties from air-launched explosive weapons were in State use of explosive weapons • Of the casualties recorded • Syria, and 35% were in Gaza. in 2014, 78% were civilians increased significantly in 2014. AOAV recorded almost twice as many civilian (32,662 civilians killed and While responsibility cannot be • casualties from barrel bombs in 2014 as in 2013. injured). assigned in many cases, where it was reported states caused • Iraq, Syria, Gaza, Nigeria and 28% of recorded civilian casual- Pakistan saw the highest num- ties in 2014, up from 11% in 4 bers of civilian casualties in 2014. 2013. EXPLOSIVEEXPLOSIVE VIOLENCE IN 2014 20142014 20132013 101-700 INCIDENTS 78% 51-100 INCIDENTS CIVILIAN CASUALTIESCCASUASUALLTIESTIES +5% 29 11–50 INCIDENTS 58 TOTALTOTTALAL REPORTEDREPORRTEDTEDD CASUALTIES:CCASUASUALLTIES:TIES: 41,847 INCREASE IN TOTALTOTTALAL CIVILIAN AVERAGEAAVERAVERAGE NUMBER OF CIVILIAN 2–10 INCIDENTS NUMBER OF COUNTRIESCOUNTRIES