Explosive Violence Monitor 2016

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People killed or injured globally
Total number of casualties: 45,624
Total number of people killed: 21,482
Total number of people injured: 24,142

Civilians
Number of civilians killed: 11, 807
Number of civilians injured: 20, 281
70% of those killed or injured were civilians

Armed Actors
Number of armed actors killed: 9,675
Number of armed actors injured: 3,861

Populated areas
Total number of people killed in populated areas: 11,602
Total number of people injured in populated areas: 19,352
Number of civilians killed in populated areas: 10,230
Number of civilians injured in populated areas: 18,263
92% of all people killed or injured in populated areas were civilians

Children
Number of children killed or injured (where stated): 1,504

Gender
16%
 of civilians killed or injured were women (where stated)

Weapon Types
Of total civilian casualties, 31% were killed or injured by airstrikes
Of total civilian casualties, 22% were killed or injured by ground strikes
Of total civilian casualties, 45% were killed or injured by IEDs

Countries
The top five countries impacted in regard to total number of people killed and injured by explosive weapons (from more to less affected):
Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan=Yemen, Turkey
The top five countries impacted in regard to the number of civilians killed and injured by explosive weapons (from more to less affected):
Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, Turkey

Read our annual reports: 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011

AOAV is a founding member of the International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW). We believe, as our data clearly routinely shows, that the use of explosive weapons in populated areas causes severe harm to individuals and communities. We believe that this suffering can and should be reduced so that unnecessary deaths and injuries can be prevented. We call on States to cease the use of explosive weapons in towns and cities.

The figures in the summary above were updated in December 2020 and represent higher figures than in our Explosive Violence Monitor 2016 annual report. This is due to the persistent collection of data by AOAV, some of which would have been released, and subsequently recorded, following the completion of our 2016 report. The figures in the infographics below reflect the data from our 2016 annual report, not this summary. 

  • 2,300

    Total number of incidents

  • 45,624

    Total number of casualties
    (killed and injured)

  • 70

    % of casualties who are civilians

% of civilian casualties by weapon type

The worst incidents of 2016

Key Explosive Violence Monitor Reports