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The Reverberating Effects of Explosive Weapon Use in Syria Contents THE REVERBERATING EFFECTS OF EXPLOSIVE WEAPON USE IN SYRIA CONTENTS Introduction 4 1.1 Timeline 6 1.2 Worst locations 8 1.3 Weapon types 11 1.4 Actors 12 Health 14 Economy 19 Environment 24 Society and Culture 30 Conclusion 36 Recommendations 37 Report by Jennifer Dathan Notes 38 Additional research by Silvia Ffiore, Leo San Laureano, Juliana Suess and George Yaolong Editor Iain Overton Copyright © Action on Armed Violence (January 2019) Cover illustration Syrian children play outside their home in Gaziantep, Turkey by Jennifer Dathan Design and printing Tutaev Design Clarifications or corrections from interested parties are welcome Research and publication funded by the Government of Norway, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 4 | ACTION ON ARMED VIOLENCE REVERBERATING EFFECTS OF EXPLOSIVE WEAPONS IN SYRIA | 5 INTRODUCTION The use of explosive weapons, particularly in populated noticed the following year that, whilst total civilian families from both returning to their homes and using areas, causes wide-spread and long-term harm to casualties (deaths and injuries) were just below that their land. Such impact has devastating and lingering civilians. Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) has been of the previous year, civilian deaths had increased by consequences for communities and cultures. monitoring casualties from the use of explosive 50% (from 5,639 in 2016 to 8,463 in 2017). As the war weapons around the globe since 2010. So extreme continued, injuries were increasingly less likely to be In this report, AOAV seeks to better understand the has such harm been in Syria in recent years that, recorded - particularly in incidents where there were reverberating harms from the explosive violence in by the end of 2017, Syria had overtaken Iraq as the high levels of civilian deaths. Therefore, it is likely Syria, both current and anticipated, through an country most impacted by explosive violence since that the number of casualties from explosive violence analysis of four broad areas: health, economy, our monitor began. in Syria is much higher than our methodology can environment, and society and culture. capture. The conflict in Syria that began with a peaceful uprising METHODOLOGY against President Assad early in 2011 has turned into It is not just the direct casualties from explosive AOAV researchers visited Turkey in October 2018, a conflict comprising many actors – the regime, rebels, violence, however, that must concern – it is likely that travelling to Istanbul and areas with large Syrian extremist groups, Russia, the US-led coalition, Turkey, these account for a minority of total casualties caused refugee populations. Interviews were conducted and Kurdish groups among others – with civilians by the impacts of explosive weapons. The use of with academics, experts, NGOs and UN personnel, struggling to avoid the impacts of the heavy use of explosive weapons in Syria has destroyed key infra- as well as with refugees and other civilians. Further explosive weapons that have marked the conflict. structure; deprived communities of clean water, interviews were conducted remotely with relevant sanitation, electricity, medical care, and forced many personnel in Syria, Jordan, the UK and the United In almost 8 years of conflict in Syria, between 2011 to flee their homes and neighbourhoods. Many States. In total, 50 separate and in-depth interviews and 2018, AOAV recorded 79,206 casualties from civilians also have suffered profound psychological were conducted. explosive weapons – of these, 85% (67,263) were harm, while interruptions to education and employ- civilians. Casualties in Syria hit their highest levels in ment can stunt development for years, leaving many For the Explosive Weapons Monitor Project methodology 2016, when AOAV recorded 13,313 civilian casualties in poverty. Land often remains contaminated for A Syrian refugee in the room she shares with her family in please see, The Burden of Harm: Monitoring Explosive from explosive weapons in the country. However, AOAV decades, causing further casualties and preventing Gaziantep, Turkey. Violence in 2017. Destruction in Bab Dreeb area in Homs, Syria. By Bo Yaser, 5th April 2012. From Wikimedia Commons. Children at the Rainbow centre in Gaziantep, Turkey. 6 | ACTION ON ARMED VIOLENCE REVERBERATING EFFECTS OF EXPLOSIVE WEAPONS IN SYRIA | 7 A TIMELINE OF EXPLOSIVE VIOLENCE IN SYRIA Jan Jan 2011 2015 Feb MARCH Nationwide protests follow after Feb JANUARY Kurdish forces push ISIS out of Mar security forces shoot dead a protestor Mar Kobane Apr MAY Tanks and shelling are used on areas in Apr SEPTEMBER Russian air-campaign begins in May Daraa and Homs in an effort to quell protests May support of Assad regime. Jun Jun DECEMBER Syrian Army retakes Homs Jul 95% CIVILIAN CASUALTIES Jul Aug Aug CIVILIAN CASUALTIES TOTAL REPORTED DEATHS & INJURIES: 1,189 87% Sept TOTAL CIVILIAN DEATHS & INJURIES: 1,127 Sept TOTAL REPORTED DEATHS & INJURIES: 10,344 Oct Oct TOTAL CIVILIAN DEATHS & INJURIES: 8,743 Nov Nov Dec Dec Jan Jan 2012 Feb 2012 Bombardment increases across the 2016 Feb MARCH Syrian Army retakes Palmyra from ISIS Mar country, particularly in Homs, Damascus Mar with Russian assistance – though only until December 2016 Apr and Aleppo Apr JULY The Free Syria Army attacks Damascus DECEMBER Syrian regime forces with Russian May May and seizes Aleppo air support recapture Aleppo as rebels lose Jun Jun control of the largest city in Syria Jul Jul Aug 91% CIVILIAN CASUALTIES Aug 1,953 CIVILIAN CASUALTIES Sept TOTAL REPORTED DEATHS & INJURIES: 9,174 Sept 85% TOTAL REPORTED DEATHS & INJURIES: 15,640 Oct TOTAL CIVILIAN DEATHS & INJURIES: 8,368 Oct TOTAL CIVILIAN DEATHS & INJURIES: 13,313 Nov Nov Dec Dec Jan Jan 2013 Feb AUGUST Bombing in Ghouta, using chemical 2017 Feb APRIL US conducts missile strikes on a Syrian Mar weapons Mar airbase MAY US arm YPG Kurdish fighters, fighting Apr DECEMBER Islamist groups are reported Apr to have seized Free Syrian Army bases alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). May May These forces recapture Tabqa from ISIS Jun Jun JUNE ISIS is driven from Raqqa, their de-facto Jul 87% CIVILIAN CASUALTIES Jul capital Aug TOTAL REPORTED DEATHS & INJURIES: 7,823 Aug Sept TOTAL CIVILIAN DEATHS & INJURIES: 6,817 Sept 85% CIVILIAN CASUALTIES Oct Oct TOTAL REPORTED DEATHS & INJURIES: 15,319 Nov Nov TOTAL CIVILIAN DEATHS & INJURIES: 13,062 Dec Dec Jan Jan 2,498 2014 Feb FEBRUARY UN-brokered peace talks fail 2018 Feb JANUARY Turkey launches assault on Kurdish Mar JUNE ISIS declares a ‘caliphate’ of territory Mar forces in Afrin and seize the town by March 1,893 FEBRUARY Syrian regime forces launch assault Apr stretching from Aleppo, Syria, Apr to Diyala, Iraq on Eastern Ghouta May May SEPTEMBER US-led coalition begins an OCTOBER US-led coalition airstrikes targets Jun Jun airstrike campaign against ISIS in Syria the last ISIS held areas in Deir Ezzor Jul Jul Aug Aug CIVILIAN CASUALTIES Sept 81% CIVILIAN CASUALTIES Sept 80% Oct TOTAL REPORTED DEATHS & INJURIES: 7,705 Oct TOTAL REPORTED DEATHS & INJURIES: 12,012 TOTAL CIVILIAN DEATHS & INJURIES: 6,247 TOTAL CIVILIAN DEATHS & INJURIES: 9,587 Nov Nov Dec Dec 0 250 500 750 1,000 1,250 1,500 0 250 500 750 1,000 1,250 1,500 2,500 Source: AOAV’s Explosive Violence Monitor 8 | ACTION ON ARMED VIOLENCE REVERBERATING EFFECTS OF EXPLOSIVE WEAPONS IN SYRIA | 9 WORST LOCATIONS 14 governorates of Syria and casualty totals 2011-2018 Although the map illustrates the governorates that – the capital has been a key target for rebel and other 67,263 have seen the most civilian casualties, what follows is armed groups. The neighbouring areas of Eastern CIVILIANS an analysis of the cities that have seen the most harm. Ghouta, such as Douma, have predominantly been ALEPPO AR-RAQQAH KILLED OR INJURED the target of state violence. ALEPPO IDLIB ALEPPO AL-HASAKAH Aleppo, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities Damascus’ suburbs have seen the worst destruction CITY in the world and Syria’s largest city before the war, is to infrastructure, the centre having enough relative LATAKIA RAQQA the city (and governorate) that witnessed the highest stability to reconstruct and rebuild quickly. In this numbers of civilian casualties from explosive violence. sense, whilst Damascus has seen high levels of HAMA DEIR EZ-ZOUR Most civilian casualties occurred during the battle for civilian casualties, the visible damage has been Aleppo in 2016, when AOAV recorded 7,959 civilian largely addressed by quick reconstruction efforts led deaths and injuries from explosive weapons in the by the government. TARTUS HOMS CITY wider governorate, with 84% (6,683) in Aleppo city alone. By December 2016, Syrian regime forces with In total, Damascus has seen at least 8,006 casualties DAMASCUS Russian air support had captured Aleppo, but did so from explosive weapons of which 95% (7,633) were 600–1,000 INCIDENTS with some of the heaviest airstrikes seen since the civilians. Over 1 million fled Damascus over the course DOUMA HOMS 301–600 INCIDENTS beginning of the war, with Russian air support taking a of the war, with 718,420 fleeing to other areas of Syria significant toll. Over 3.4 million civilians fled the city.11 and 386,006 leaving Syria’s borders.19 101–300 INCIDENTS Over 1.6 million of those sought refuge outside of 11–100 INCIDENTS Syria’s borders – 1.8 million were internally displaced. HOMS AL-QUNAITIRA RIF DIMASHQ 2011 So far, over 300,000 have returned. Homs, which was initially nicknamed the ‘capital of the 20122–10 INCIDENTSNUMBERNUMBER OF INCIDENTS OF INCIDENTS 42745 20 DARAA AS- revolution’, was one of the first cities subjected to SUWAYDA = 700 Civilian casualties Such destruction has left a clearance task of immense bombing campaigns by state forces. While it is one of = 700 civilian calualties = 700 calualties proportions, with civilian infrastructure highly damaged, the worst impacted cities in Syria since the war began = 700 Armed actor and 12 security personnel casualties including 30% of housing units.
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