Over half of world's cluster bomb casualties in 2020 were recorded in Syria: report

Cluster bomb casualties in Syria made up 52% (182) of all similar casualties worldwide in 2020, a new report by the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) revealed last week.

The bombs resulted in 44% of all 2020 Syrian casualties being children, as schools and hospitals were also hit by them, despite numerous UN resolutions to prevent their use in the war-torn country.

The cluster bombs have been used continuously in Syria, largely by the Assad regime, but also by Russia, as 80% of cluster munition casualties worldwide were recorded in the country since 2012, where at least 687 cluster munition attacks have taken place, according to the report. 

"Syria is the only country to have experienced continued use of these weapons since 2012 ... causing  immense human suffering both directly from attacks and from explosive remnants left behind", the report says.

The report, which monitors cluster weapons' use globally, highlights that eight resolutions have been adopted by the UN General Assembly condemning their use in Syria since May 2013, and that over 145 countries have also condemned the use in Syria.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) contributed to the CMC's report by sharing data on injuries and deaths, and have continuously declared the regimes use of the munitions a "war crime".

"After the condemnations and resolutions nothing has been done ... and the Assad regime continues to use cluster ammunitions", Fadel Abdul Ghani, founder and chairman of SNHR, told The New Arab.

"I think it is because of the weakness of the mechanism of accountability for such crimes ... condemnation never effects dictator regimes like Assad's or Russia because they don't care about their reputation", he continues.

Ghani says further steps and decisive sanctions need to be taken to protect civilians, being either political, economical or military, "otherwise Assad will continue to violate the resolutions".

Syria Relief, a leading Syria-focused charity, says the impact of cluster munitions has been devastating to its work, facilities and the people it aims to help.

"Since April 2019, Syria Relief have had 7 of our schools and two of our healthcare facilities bombed, many by cluster munitions", says Charles Lawley, the charity's Head of Communication and Advocacy, to The New Arab, before explaining two children were killed just five weeks ago by an un-exploded bomb at one of the charity's schools.

"There is no excuse for any military actor to use cluster munitions ... trying to achieve a victory by deliberately targeting civilian life is a war crime and the world needs to be outraged at just how common place this is in Syria", says Lawley.