Children at Risk: The Dangerous Impacts of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas

Conflicts across the globe illustrate the devastating humanitarian consequences when urban areas become theatres of war. The use of explosive weapons in these environments carries numerous implications for civilians, including children. What is being done at the international level, and what further action can states take?
With many contemporary armed conflicts occurring in populated areas, weapons designed for open battlefields—including explosive weapons—pose serious risks to civilians. The use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) causes tens of thousands of civilian casualties annually. Civilians typically account for 90 percent of casualties reported from EWIPA. In addition, explosive weapons can damage essential civilian infrastructure and services. Attacks with explosive weapons and their remnants can also impede humanitarian assistance, exacerbating the toll on those in need.
Explosive weapons and use around civilians
Numerous types of conventional weapons fall into the subset of explosive weapons, from landmines and improvised explosive devices to artillery shells, rockets, missiles, and bombs. Impacting around a point of detonation, explosive weapons can injure and kill primarily through blast, heat, and fragmentation. The nature and extent of impact vary. Explosive weapons with wide area effects generate destruction well beyond a target. These have patterns of causing especially significant harm to civilians when used in populated areas in relation to their low precision and accuracy, and high likelihood of indiscriminate effects.
In armed conflict, while there is no general legal prohibition on the use of EWIPA, it must comply with international humanitarian law (IHL). Among salient IHL requirements are principles of distinction and prohibitions on disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks. The use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas raises particular challenges regarding compliance with such IHL requirements. Additional to protections applicable to civilians, IHL affords children special respect and protection.
Impacts on children
Children continue to be affected. According to the United Nations (UN), explosive weapons were attributed to almost half of the 47,534 cases of children killed and maimed in 2018 – 2022 in the conflict zones assessed.
2023 saw a 35 percent increase in cases of maiming and killing relative to 2022—EWIPA being one of the drivers. In Myanmar, over 560 child casualties in 2023 were the result of artillery shelling and/or heavy weapons and airstrikes. Meanwhile, July 2024 saw reports of children in Gaza sustaining extensive injuries consistent with the use of “fragmentation” weapons in crowded areas. These examples punctuate a course of hostilities involving the heavy use of explosive weapons, including bombs with wide area effects.
Children are uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of EWIPA. With distinct physiology, they are more likely to die from blast injuries than adults. Children also sustain blast injuries in different ways from adults, including increased trauma to the head, partially as children are more susceptible to handling unexploded ordnance. In contaminated areas, children may pick up explosive elements unaware of the dangers or otherwise trigger detonation.
Experiencing disproportionate effects from blasts, children have increased possibility of long-term disabilities. Children who sustain blast injuries require specific care and more complex rehabilitation as they are growing. Those who have limbs amputated due to injuries from landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) need more frequent replacement of prostheses.
The use of explosive weapons can cause psychological distress and longer-term mental health implications, particularly for children. This can include PTSD and other psychological conditions. Mental trauma can affect children’s cognitive development and learning ability, with access to adequate, ongoing support critical yet often precarious in active and post-conflict situations.
The use of EWIPA also has concerning indirect effects. The consequences of damaged civilian infrastructure and disruption of sanitation, healthcare, electricity, and other services are felt more acutely by children. ERW contamination can impede children’s access to schools and hospitals over the longer term.
Sudan
With the eruption of hostilities in April 2023, the conflict in Sudan has seriously impacted children. Fighting initially centred in Khartoum, soon expanding to two proximate cities and provincial centres. Reported fatalities recorded since 15 April 2023 recently exceeded 27,000, with over 14 million displaced.
Both warring Rapid Support Forces and Sudanese Armed Forces have employed explosive weapons in populated areas, including heavy artillery, bombs, and missiles. In 2023, half of the UN-documented cases of children being killed or injured were attributed to explosive weapons.
Unacceptable harm has continued. In September 2024, shelling in Sennar city reportedly resulted in over 30 child casualties. In response, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) called for conflict actors to uphold their IHL obligations towards protecting children. Calls to respect IHL were reiterated in October after airstrikes left at least 17 children reportedly killed and injured.
Civilian infrastructure has also been decimated. Insecurity Insight reported over 50 cases involving explosive weapons affecting healthcare for 2023 alone. Over 70 percent of health facilities are either barely functioning or not at all in Sudan’s most conflict-affected areas. Numerous barriers have impeded access to crucial humanitarian assistance. Additional explosive ordnance contamination since hostilities erupted has contributed to insecurity, affecting aid delivery, as well as resulting in child casualties.
International recognition and avenues ahead
The need to mitigate the humanitarian impacts of EWIPA has driven advocacy and gained traction. In 2022, efforts spearheaded by the International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), UN, and Ireland manifested in the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (the declaration). This sits amid other important international instruments like the Safe Schools Declaration, Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, and Convention on Cluster Munitions.
Currently, 87 states have endorsed the declaration. Endorsers commit to making necessary domestic changes to help avert civilian harm from EWIPA, multi-stakeholder collaboration, international meetings on implementation progress, and data collection. Importantly, the declaration provides a starting framework for states to better attune policies and operational guidance for urban contexts, potentially curtailing civilian impacts.
However, the declaration can be leveraged more effectively—with sustained political will. Endorsers should accelerate tangible steps in the domestic implementation process towards realising their commitments. States can also continue support for forums to increase engagement with the declaration and address impediments towards endorsement. Workshops like those in Togo between 30 – 31 January 2024 represent constructive means to discuss concerns such as national implementation capacity and regional-specific dimensions like joint military operations, along with sharing of best practices.
Expanding resources for data collection on the effects of EWIPA and facilitating collaboration remain fundamental for informing effective decision-making on policy, practice, and survivor assistance. Indicator-based research models on reverberating effects to support disaggregated data collection, including by gender and age, highlight promising contributions.
Continuing to build upon and share knowledge of the implications of EWIPA for children is critical, including long-term physical and mental health conditions and for informing tailored support around children’s unique needs and dignity.
Conclusion
The recent UN Pact for the Future includes a commitment on restricting the use of EWIPA if expected to harm civilians. The humanitarian impacts of explosive weapons underscore persisting challenges in driving further change. Gaps between high-level acknowledgement, policies, and operational planning and execution must be diminished further towards limiting the effects of EWIPA on civilians and children.
Yasmine Yakushova is a writer and researcher with experience across armed conflict analysis, international relations, and peacebuilding. She holds a Master of Peace and Conflict Studies. Her current research interests include policy development around explosive weapons, civilian protection in armed conflict, and children and armed conflict.
This article is published under a Creative Commons License and may be republished with attribution.