A new UN report warns that civilians continue to bear the overwhelming burden of modern warfare, with explosive weapons in populated areas remaining a leading cause of death, injury and destruction, drawing on AOAV data to illustrate the scale of the crisis.

In 2025, AOAV recorded 49,814 deaths and injuries as a result of the use of explosive weapons around the world, the second-highest levels recorded since 2010. With 45,362 civilians among these casualties – 91% of all those reported killed or wounded by explosive weapons globally – 2025 was the second most injurious year for civilians since the EVMP began. 39% (17,614) of these civilians were reported killed.

Since 7 October, Israel’s deployment of the F-35i Adir in Gaza has combined high-volume precision strike capability with real-time intelligence integration, enabling sustained urban bombardment with heavy munitions while deepening legal and ethical scrutiny over the scale of civilian harm.

An AOAV analysis of 10,779 English-language reports finds that, despite more than 114,000 civilian casualties across Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan and Myanmar since 2022, just 11 per cent of coverage names the weapon used, with meaningful attribution largely confined to Ukraine, leaving the systems, manufacturers and supply chains driving civilian harm elsewhere largely obscured from scrutiny and accountability.

At the United Nations in New York, governments renewed calls for stronger civilian protection from explosive weapons in populated areas, urging that the 2022 Political Declaration move from words to action through concrete military restraint, accountability, and collaboration ahead of the 2025 San José conference.

In order to implement the Declaration, we need to understand the blast effects of what we are trying to protect people from. 

In the midst of unprecedented civilian harm from explosive weapons, AOAV sets out its predictions for 2024, for the Forum on Arms Trade.

The latest global explosive violence monitor report from AOAV reveals a disturbing surge in civilian fatalities and incidents of explosive weapon use globally in 2023, with a 122% rise in global civilian fatalities compared to the previous year.

At least 14 civilians were killed and 217 injured during a battle for control of the Central Reserve Police headquarters in Khartoum.

Action on Armed Violence analyses the impact of the Arms Trade Treaty on civilian harm from explosive weapons in Aghanistan.

Action on Armed Violence analyses the impact of the Arms Trade Treaty on UK explosive weapons transfers.

Action on Armed Violence analyses the impact of the Arms Trade Treaty on Chinese explosive weapons transfers.