Civilian casualties of explosive weapons at highest level in more than a decade

Study says 61,353 non-combatants were killed or wounded in 2024, an increase of 67% on the previous year

Civilian casualties from bombing or other explosive violence have reached their highest level globally in more than a decade, an annual study has concluded, reflecting the intense bombing of Gaza and Lebanon and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), a monitoring group, said 61,353 non-combatants had been killed or wounded during 2024, an increase of 67% on last year, previously the largest amount it had counted since it began its survey in 2010.