Globally, between 2011 and 2020, at least 17,035 children were reported in English language media as having been killed and injured by explosive violence. An additional 807 children were reported as casualties of unexploded ordinance (UXO). State actors were responsible for at least 53% of child casualties of explosive violence in the last decade. These figures are likely to be just fractions of the real harm.
In response to this harm, AOAV’s report Childhood Under Attack outlines the foreseeable patterns of harm when children are faced with the use of explosive weapons, in both the short and the long- term. It traces the impact of explosive violence over the course of a child’s life: from the moment of the blast to the minutes, hours, months, and years that follow.
The report argues that the initial blast, while horrific, only paints half a picture. Most child casualties are not the result of direct exposure to blasts; they are harmed by explosive weapons that destroy food, water sources, shelter, and healthcare. These indirect effects are not accounted for in the data; they are frequently not adequately assessed in the literature; nor are they addressed sufficiently in the humanitarian response.
Please join us at 13:30-14:45 (GMT) on Thursday 25th February 2021, via Zoom, to hear AOAV’s data and expert opinion on the impact of explosive violence on children. Attendance details will be sent after registration. Register here.
Speakers:
- Dr Saleyha Ahsan - A&E doctor, former Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps, broadcaster
- Dr Michael von Bertele – Former Director General of the Army Medical Services
- Rocco Blume - Head of Policy and Advocacy for War Child UK
- Verity Hubbard – Research Consultant, Action on Armed Violence