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August 2024

Data

Data for August 2024

At least one death or injury from the use of explosive weapons was recorded in 23 countries and territories in August 2024. Worldwide, there were at least 789 reported incidents of explosive weapons use resulting in 4,666 casualties, of which 4,203 (90%) were civilians. About 37% of all reported civilian casualties occurred in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Other affected countries and territories in terms of civilian casualties from the use of explosive weapons were Myanmar, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine. 

When explosive weapons were used in populated areas in August 2024, civilians reportedly accounted for 97% of all recorded casualties. This pattern of harm has been consistently recorded over the last decade.

This data is collected from English-language media reports. It does not attempt to exhaustively capture all incidents of explosive weapon use around the world but to serve as an indicator of the scale and pattern of deaths and injuries. In the Occupied Palestinian Territories, English-language media underreported the numbers of casualties caused by incidents of explosive weapons use. Additionally, the use of explosive weapons in the Occupied Palestinian Territories was so frequent that it was difficult in many cases to attribute civilian casualties to specific incidents of use, as required by the methodology for this data collection. As such, the data presented here underrepresents the extent to which casualties were caused by explosive weapons. For more information on casualties from official sources in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, see the Ministry of Health in Gaza figures reported, when possible, by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Reported incidents of explosive weapon use that resulted in civilian casualties by state/territory in August 2024

Number of incidents

184

Reported incidents of explosive weapon use and
civilian and armed-actor casualties in August 2024

Impact on civilians in populated areas in August 2024

There were 160 incidents of explosive weapon use affecting aid access, education and healthcare services reported in 11 countries and territories in August 2024. For the eleventh consecutive month, the highest number of incidents were reported in the Occupied Palestinian Territories where 94 incidents were attributed to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

Incidents continued to be recorded in Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine. Incidents were also documented in Israel, Mali and Pakistan in August. In Mali’s Kidal region, 26 people were killed when two armed drone strikes by the Forces Armées Maliennes, which first struck a pharmacy then a crowded area in Inkharabane Refugee Camp. In Israel, two schools were affected when Hezbollah forces in Lebanon fired at least two rockets on HaZafon district. In Pakistan, grenades were thrown by unidentified perpetrators at schools in Balochistan province during independence day celebrations.

Reported incidents of explosive weapon use affecting aid
access, education and healthcare in August 2024

ANNUAL UPDATES FOR August 2024

In the last year (September 2023 to August 2024), at least one death or injury from the use of explosive weapons was recorded in 61 countries and territories. Worldwide, there were 9,039 incidents of explosive weapons use resulting in 63,262 casualties, of which 86% (54,426) were civilians. About 55% of all reported civilian casualties occurred in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Other affected countries and territories in terms of civilian casualties from the use of explosive weapons were Myanmar, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine. 

In the last year (August 2023 to July 2024), there were 2,201 recorded incidents of explosive weapons use affecting aid access, education, and healthcare services in 29 countries and territories. In total, at least 636 aid workers, educators, health workers and students were killed in these incidents. During the reporting period, incidents affecting refugee and IDP camps have increased significantly from 12 in September 2023 to 90 in August. Though most took place in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, incidents also doubled in Sudan’s Darfur regions.