In an annual report, published Monday, Handicap International reveals that 75 countries and territories, or a third of the globe, were affected in 2023 by the use of explosive weapons. Never has a year been so “deadly” for civil infrastructure and populations.
The number of civilians killed 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% in 2023), education (+ 80%) or humanitarian aid. The war in Gaza, where the Israeli army has been carrying out an offensive for six months in response to the unprecedented attack by Palestinian Hamas on October 7, weighs heavily in the increase in figures. The report uses World Bank data according to which more than 60% of housing has been destroyed or damaged in the Palestinian territory, one of the most densely populated in the world.
The equivalent of a third of the globe
Nine countries or territories are particularly affected, according to Handicap international: Lebanon, Myanmar, Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen. “The use of explosive weapons in urban areas has absolutely devastating consequences for civilians,” Gilles Lordet, advocacy communications manager for Handicap international, told AFP. In addition to the deaths, “they cause massive population displacements and have long-term consequences such as soil contamination” by mines or unexploded ordnance, he notes.
Everything you need to know about civilian casualties
The report highlights that civilians represent 90% of victims of explosive weapons used in cities. The publication of the report comes as a three-day international meeting opens Monday in Oslo to discuss the implementation of a 2022 political declaration aimed at better protecting civilians against the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, signed by 86 countries.