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November 2024

Data

Data for November 2024

At least one death or injury from the use of explosive weapons was recorded in 21 countries and territories in November 2024. Worldwide, there were at least 921 reported incidents of explosive weapons use resulting in 6,948 casualties, of which 6,136 (88%) were civilians. Around 32% of all reported civilian casualties occurred in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in November 2024. Other affected countries and territories in terms of civilian casualties from the use of explosive weapons were Lebanon, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine.

When explosive weapons were used in populated areas in November 2024, civilians reportedly accounted for 95% 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 and Lebanon, 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 and Lebanon 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 and the Lebanese Health Ministry reported figures, 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 November 2024

Number of incidents

184

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

Impact on civilians in populated areas in November 2024

There were 326 incidents of explosive weapon use affecting aid access, education and healthcare services reported in ten countries and territories in November 2024. Of these, 96% of incidents were attributed to state armed forces. High numbers of incidents continued to be recorded in the Occupied Palestinian Territories when IDF air and drone strikes and artillery shelling impacted IDP camps, medical facilities and schools at least 219 times. 

During November 2024, incidents nearly doubled in Ukraine and mainly involved drone strikes by Russian armed forces, damaging medical facilities and schools. For the third consecutive month, numbers of recorded incidents increased in Ethiopia’s Amhara region when Ethiopian military drone strikes hit and damaged schools, a medical facility and an IDP camp. Incidents decreased in Lebanon and continued to be recorded in Myanmar, Syria and Sudan. In Israel, a Hezbollah drone launched from Lebanon crashed and exploded in a kindergarten yard. In Kenya, an IED explosion hit an ambulance, injuring an ambulance driver. In Somalia, al-Shabaab roadside IED detonated, hitting a vehicle and killing a female aid worker and two other people.

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

ANNUAL UPDATES FOR November 2024

In the last year (December 2023 to November 2024), at least one death or injury from the use of explosive weapons was recorded in 57 countries and territories. Worldwide, there were 9,534 incidents of explosive weapons use resulting in 69,260 casualties, of which 89% (61,344) were civilians. About 42% 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 Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine.

In the last year (December 2023 to November 2024), there were 3,571 recorded incidents of explosive weapons use affecting aid access, education, and healthcare services in 30 countries and territories. In total, at least 1,009 aid workers, educators, health workers and students were killed in these incidents. Since September, cases have risen particularly in Ethiopia’ Amhara region, southern Lebanon and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.