Explosive weapon
An explosive weapon is a weapon that uses an explosive to project blast and/or fragmentation from a point of detonation.
In the common practice of
When explosive weapons fail to function as designed they are often left as unexploded ordnance (UXO).
Classification
Explosive weapons may be subdivided by their method of manufacture into explosive
Certain types of explosive weapons may be categorized as
Humanitarian impact
In armed conflict, the general rules of international humanitarian law governing the conduct of hostilities apply to the use of all types of explosive weapons as means or methods of warfare.
Taken in combination, Amended Protocol II and Protocol V to the
Certain types of explosive weapons have been subject to prohibition in international treaties. The
The Secretary-General of the United Nations has expressed increasing concern at "the humanitarian impact of explosive weapons, in particular when used in densely populated areas."[2] The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Jakob Kellenberger has noted that "ICRC’s key operations in 2009 – in the Gaza Strip and in Sri Lanka – provided stark illustrations of the potentially devastating humanitarian consequences of military operations conducted in densely populated areas, especially when heavy or highly explosive weapons are used."[3]
According to the British NGO Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), when explosive weapons are used in
Action on Armed Violence has also charted a dramatic rise in the use of
The International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW), a partnership of NGOs, is calling for immediate action to prevent human suffering from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
See also
References
- ^ "1997 Report of the Panel of Governmental Experts on Small Arms". Retrieved 6 August 2012.
- ^ Report of the Secretary-General on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, United Nations Security Council, 29 May 2009, S/2009/277, para 36.
- ^ The 2009 Annual Report of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Message from the President, p.8.
- ^ An Explosive Situation: Monitoring Explosive Violence in 2012 (PDF). AOAV. 2013. p. 3.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Data shows 70 percent rise in civilian casualties from car bombs, suicide attacks – campaigners". Thomson Reuters Foundation. 2014.
External links
- The International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW)
- Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) Explosive Violence Monitoring project
- United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) project on explosive weapons
- Explosive Violence, The Problem of Explosive Weapons, report by Richard Moyes (Landmine Action, 2009) on the humanitarian problems caused by the use of explosive weapons in populated areas
- Article 36 - civil society initiative on the humanitarian impact of weapons