L'oeil de la Genève Internationale
February 2017

On 6 February 2017, The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) presented the results of a study about the effects of different weapons currently used in populated areas: “Characterisation of Explosive Weapons”.

According to the organization, over the last years, the use of explosive weapons in populated areas has significantly increased. Those weapons, originally designed for use in open battlefields, have devastating effects on civilians and infrastructure. Aleppo and Homs in Syria, as seen in the picture above, are recent examples of these effects. 

The study has the aim of better informing the impact of explosive weapons in populated areas. It looks at various effects which impact civilians and infrastructures. It also highlights challenges in accuracy and precision as well as possible measures to better control the impact of these weapons. 

The findings of the study are consolidated in a final report and 5 annexes. The project was guided and advised by a group of 18 international specialists and practitioners from the humanitarian, policy, advocacy and legal fields.  More than 100 incidents were recorded and analyzed. In Spring 2017, the study will be completed by a 3D effects simulator to better assess and illustrate the level of damage created by the different weapon systems. 

All the findings can be found on the all-new website