A terrible cost for civilians Data collected by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) shows that at least 112,000 civilians have been reported as killed or injured by explosive weapons in the last four years. Download the infographic here Between 2011 and 2014, AOAV has recorded a total of 144,545 deaths and injuries from the use […]

Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) records incidents of explosive violence as they occur around the world. Since 1 October 2010 AOAV has used English-language media sources to capture information on attacks, including on the number of casualties and the weapon type used. In July 2015, AOAV recorded 4,990 casualties of explosive violence worldwide, 76% of […]

Introduction “Ultimately, civilians in Syria, Gaza, Israel, Afghanistan, Libya, eastern Ukraine and other conflict hotspots pay the price when the shells aimed at military targets end up hitting homes, hospitals and schools. This simply has to stop. These explosive weapons are designed for open battlefields, not built-up urban areas […] This is not about the […]

Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) records incidents of explosive violence as they occur around the world. Since 1 October 2010 AOAV has used English-language media sources to capture information on attacks, including on the number of casualties and the weapon type used. April saw 2,917 casualties of explosive violence, 83% of whom were civilians. For […]

Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) records incidents of explosive violence as they occur around the world. Since 1 October 2010 AOAV has used English-language media sources to capture information on attacks, including on the number of casualties and the weapon type used. AOAV recorded 3,824 casualties of explosive violence worldwide, 84% of whom were civilians. […]

Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) records incidents of explosive violence as they occur around the world. Since 1 October 2010 AOAV has used English-language media sources to capture information on attacks, including on the number of casualties and the weapon type used. This month there were more than 3,000 casualties of explosive violence (people killed […]

The use of explosive weapons in populated areas is one of the biggest protection concerns facing humanitarians, the United Nations say in a new report. This week the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is meeting in New York to debate efforts to strengthen the coordination of humanitarian assistance in countries such as Syria and its neighbours, […]

In November 2013 AOAV was in Lebanon to meet with refugees who had survived and escaped the devastating explosive violence in Syria. Syria’s Shockwaves tells the stories of some of these people, every one of whom had witnessed someone die or be injured by a bomb, shell or rocket. Explosive weapons like artillery, mortars and air-dropped […]

Today the leaders of the United Nations’ leading humanitarian agencies issued a joint statement calling for urgent action to reduce the suffering in Syria. An urgent plea to stop the bombing of civilians is one of their primary demands, reflecting the terrible role these weapons have played in the conflict. “One year ago”, says the […]

Today marks three years since the first anti-government protests broke out in Syria. The war that followed has claimed well over 100,000 lives, forced millions from their homes, and reduced ancient cities to rubble. The way in which explosive weapons have been used in Syria has shaped the dynamics of this relentless conflict. The history […]

This film, released today by one of AOAV’s partners Save the Children, asks us to imagine if the reality of life for the children of Syria was the reality for children in London. Children in Syria who were leading happy, healthy and safe lives have seen them dashed by the conflict, which broke out in […]

Every day civilians are killed and injured by explosive weapons, either the rockets and air-dropped bombs of a conventional military, or an improvised explosive device (IED). Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) records the incidents of explosive violence as they happen around the world. Using English-language media sources, AOAV collects data on attacks, including on the […]