Geneva: More than 1,200 people have been killed or maimed in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. The actual number could be significantly higher, but it may take years to gather accurate data, as stated by Loren Persi, the team lead for the Cluster Munition Monitor report.
According to United Nations, Citing conflicts in Syria and Yemen as examples where high casualty numbers were only revealed years later, Persi emphasized the delayed nature of such data revelation during a press briefing in Geneva. Schools have been targeted in rebel-held territories, as noted by Monitor research specialist Michael Hart, citing their use in regions like Chin state, Rakhine state, Saigon region, and Kachin state.
Submunitions, also known as bomblets, inflict casualties and destruction through blast impact, incendiary effects, and fragmentation. According to UNIDIR, a single attack can release thousands of explosive units over a large area. These munitions can be deployed via air or surface and target armor, materiel, and personnel, though civilians often suffer the most from their remnants, Persi insisted.
Children have accounted for a significant portion (42 percent) of casualties from cluster munitions in 2024. They often mistake these dangerous devices for toys, encountering them during play, on their way to school, or while working in fields, Persi added.
Funding cuts have adversely affected humanitarian efforts in countries dealing with explosive weapon remnants, including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Lebanon. These nations had made significant progress in clearing contaminated land but now face challenges due to reduced funding, slowing down clearance efforts, explained Katrin Atkins, senior researcher at Cluster Munitions Monitor.
Whole programs previously supported by USAID, such as one in Laos, have been discontinued, Persi noted. These programs were crucial in providing first aid to cluster mine victims in remote areas and supporting rehabilitation efforts, including prosthetics, which have now been cut and not reestablished.
Since the Convention on Cluster Munitions was established 15 years ago, only 10 countries have used such weapons, and all are not signatories to the international accord, according to the Cluster Munition Monitor.
Eighteen countries have ceased production of cluster munitions, with all former producers now being States Parties to the Convention, except Argentina. However, 17 countries continue to produce or reserve the right to produce these munitions, none of which are States Parties to the Convention. These countries include Brazil, China, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Myanmar, North Korea, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey, and the United States.