From 2011–2020, AOAV recorded 49,039 deaths and injuries from explosive violence in Afghanistan—of these, 28,356 (58%) were civilians
Action on Armed Violence’s (AOAV) monitoring project, launched in October 2010, uses English-language media reports to capture information on who has been killed and injured by incidents of explosive violence. We have over 10 years of explosive violence data recorded and analysed. This data below focuses on Afghanistan.
Last year, 2020, for the first time since AOAV’s monitor on global explosive violence harm began in 2011, Afghanistan was seen to be the worst impacted country in the world with regard to civilian casualties harmed by explosive weapons.
Afghanistan has been the third worst-affected state by explosive violence globally over the past decade.
From 2011-2020, AOAV recorded 49,039 deaths and injuries from explosive violence in Afghanistan – of these, 28,356 (58%) were civilians.
When explosive violence was used in populated areas, 83% of those killed or injured were civilians.
Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) caused, by far, the most harm in this period, with 79% of all civilian casualties resulting from this type of explosive.
Ground-launched weapons were responsible for 10% of civilian casualties, whilst airstrikes accounted for 8%.
2019 was the worst year in this period for civilian casualties in Afghanistan, with AOAV recording 4,630 deaths and injuries from explosive violence.
Review AOAV has consistently recorded Afghanistan among the countries worst impacted by explosive violence. Over the first five years of the Explosive Violence Monitor, from 2011-2015, AOAV recorded 1,701 incidences of explosive harm, resulting in 10,712 civilian deaths or injuries. This figure made Afghanistan the country fourth worst-affected by explosive violence during this period, with only Iraq, Syria and Pakistan recording more casualties.
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