he UN Secretary-General has drawn on Action on Armed Violence data in a new General Assembly report, citing AOAV figures on global IED incidents, civilian casualties and the growing use of drones.

On Saturday 14th October 2017, at a busy intersection in the Hodan district of the Somali capital of Mogadishu, a truck bomb exploded, killing at least 587 people and injuring hundreds more, and permanently changing the lives of thousands. 

A quiet war is engulfing West Africa, where improvised explosive devices are devastating communities, dismantling state authority, and threatening to unravel entire nations through a deadly combination of terror, displacement, and institutional collapse.

This NDM-UN28 session unveiled a new model that combines explosive ordnance risk education with community-based first aid training to save lives in conflict zones where medical care is out of reach.

The proliferation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) across West Africa, driven by the misuse of dual-use technologies and weak border controls, has created a profound security and humanitarian crisis that demands urgent, coordinated regional and international action.

This report chronicles the devastating impact of explosive weapons on civilians worldwide from 2015 to 2024, examining how airstrikes, shelling, and improvised bombs have disproportionately harmed civilians and analysing international policy responses aimed at curbing this human tragedy.

AOAV’s Explosive Violence Monitor 2024 reveals a significant 67% increase in global civilian casualties from explosive violence compared to 2023, with a total of 61,353 killed and injured. Overall casualties rose by 39%, predominantly driven by airstrikes, which caused 63% of civilian casualties and doubled in lethality from the previous year. 

On Saturday 23rd November at around 4am, a series of Israeli air strikes killed at least 29 people and injured 66 others in the central and densely populated Beirut neighbourhood of Basta al Fawqa.

In October 2024, Action on Armed Violence recorded 8,081 deaths and injuries from 1,050 incidents of explosive violence around the world, as reported in English-language media. Civilians accounted for 90% (7,302) of the deaths and injuries recorded.

Watchlist highlights the devastating impact of explosive violence, especially on children in conflict zones, and advocates for stronger international action to protect civilians from these weapons.

In September 2024, Action on Armed Violence recorded 10,262 deaths and injuries from 937 incidents of explosive violence around the world, as reported in English-language media. Civilians accounted for 91% (9,371) of the deaths and injuries recorded.

Since 7 October 2023, AOAV has recorded 4,285* casualties as a result of explosive violence in Lebanon, with Israel accounting for 99% of all casualties recorded. The total includes at least 28 women and 60 children.