International humanitarian law and policy on

Explosive weapons in populated areas

Armed conflicts are increasingly fought in urban areas, but often with weapon systems that were originally designed for use in open battlefields. When used in populated areas, explosive weapons with wide-area effects are very likely to have indiscriminate effects. They are a major cause of harm to civilians and widely disrupt services essential for their survival.

Civilians prepare to carry dead bodies of unidentified persons after an explosion in Mogadishu, Somalia.

As the world urbanizes, so too do conflicts

It is estimated that some 50 million people now suffer the horrific consequences of urban warfare – a trend that is likely to continue as more and more people concentrate in towns and cities. 

Many of these conflicts are fought using weapons designed to deliver large explosive force from a distance and over a wide area. Most of these weapons are ill-adapted for use in urban and other population centres, and their impact is devastating. They destroy lives, livelihoods, vital infrastructure and people's futures.