Use of heavy explosive weapons, killing civilians in towns and cities, must be prevented

The conflict in Ukraine is tragic evidence that tens of thousands of civilians are killed and injured each year in bombings and shellings of towns and cities. The International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW) calls on governments meeting at the UN in Geneva, 6-8 April, to negotiate a strong new international agreement to reduce civilian harm from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
Laura Boillot, coordinator of the International Network on Explosive Weapons said: “Every day we see pictures in the news of bombs, rockets, artillery and other explosive weapons killing people in towns and cities in Ukraine causing civilian devastation and suffering, but this pattern of harm is also happening away from the cameras, elsewhere around the world. It is urgent for governments to agree a new international agreement to reduce civilian harm by avoiding use in populated areas of explosive weapons when they have wide area effects.”
Widespread pattern of harm
Explosive weapons devastate towns, cities and other populated areas, causing many to flee their homes, as widely documented most recently in Ukraine, Ethiopia, Iraq, Gaza, Yemen and Syria.
Iain Overton, executive director of Action on Armed Violence said:
“When towns and cities are bombed, it is civilians that suffer the most. Data shows that when explosive weapons are used in populated areas, 90% of victims are civilians.”
Explosive weapons were designed for use in open battlefields and have devastating consequences when used in populated areas filled with civilians and critical civilian infrastructure. Housing, hospitals, schools, power networks, and water and sanitation systems are often damaged and destroyed, causing severe knock on effects for the civilian population.
Richard Weir, crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch said:
“The repeated and extensive use of explosive weapons with wide area effects has torn apart numerous cities across Ukraine, damaged critical infrastructure, including hospitals, imperilled access to basic necessities, such as food and water, as well as healthcare, killed, maimed and injured untold numbers of civilians.”
Bombing and shelling has severe long-term consequences on people and communities.
Alma Taslidzan Al-Osta, from Humanity and Inclusion said:
“Civilians being bombed and shelled risk being killed or injured, and also experience extreme psychological trauma and stress, many are forced to flee for safety, then it is difficult to return as explosive ordnance and destroys their homes and essential services.”
New international agreement to reduce civilian harm
The laws of armed conflict prohibit direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects – and whilst the use of explosive weapons is not illegal per se – too often, warring parties kill and injure civilians with outdated, inaccurate and heavy explosive weapon systems in towns and cities.
The negotiations of a new agreement aims to reduce civilian harm by placing restrictions on the use of explosive weapon with wide area effects, and will require changes to current military policies and rules of engagement, to strengthen the protection of civilians.
Particular concerns are focused on explosive weapons with wide area effects, which, due to their scale of explosive force have a wide blast and fragmentation radius, or are inaccurate, or deliver multiple munitions across a targeted area, or have a combination of these characteristics – causing widespread damage and as such are inappropriate choices for use in towns and cities.
INEW calls for the draft international political declaration to contain commitments to: • Avoid use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in towns, cities and other populated areas
• Assist victims, including people injured, and families of those killed and injured • Address the long-lasting humanitarian impacts when critical civilian infrastructure is destroyed • Collect and share data on civilian harm from explosive weapon use.
The negotiations will resume after being halted for over two years due to Covid-19 restrictions, however, an online meeting was held in March 2021.
Based on previous attendance, around 70 states are expected to participate in the meetings.