Cluster bombs killed record numbers of civilians in 2025

The figures come from the Cluster Munitions Monitor 2026, which reports that a staggering 87% of recorded cluster bomb casualties in 2025 were civilians, including 34 children. The real number is almost certainly higher, as many casualties go unreported.

New victims were recorded in nine countries in 2025: Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iraq, Lao, Lebanon, Myanmar, Russia, Syria, and Ukraine.

What are cluster bombs?

Cluster munitions are a significant threat to civilians for two reasons: their impact at the time of use and the remnants they leave behind.

Launched from the ground or dropped from the air, the weapons consist of containers that open and disperse smaller bombs indiscriminately over a wide area, claiming both civilian and military victims.

Between 10 - 40% of cluster submunitions, or’ ‘bomblets’, fail to explode on impact and lie hidden in fields, forests, streets and schoolyards.

It can be decades before an unsuspecting child, farmer or other civilian accidentally steps upon them or a vehicle triggers the sensitive mechanical fuse.

Sweeping funding cuts threaten bomb disposal efforts

HALO clears contaminated land in some of the most dangerous places on earth. In 2025, we cleared 114 sq km of land contaminated by cluster munitions were cleared and released for safe use - a 15% increase on the previous year.

But sweeping global funding cuts threaten work in Afghanistan, Mauritania and Somalia, resulting in spiralling casualty figures and missed mine-free status deadlines.

"Clearance levels have improved significantly but the sharp rise in deaths and life-changing injuries caused by these indiscriminate weapons is deplorable" says James Denselow, Head of Policy at HALO.

A global wake-up call

Last year in Ukraine, where HALO has cleared 33,000 explosives since 2022 and employs around 1,500 Ukrainian staff, the highest annual number of cluster munition casualties was recorded for the fourth year running.

At least 927 people were killed across the country, making up 87% of the global total, with new cluster munition contamination suspected during 2025 and the first half of 2026.

"This report is a global wake up call. We simply cannot allow progress to stall as funding plummets. Clearance figures are better than ever but we're up against a huge global financial challenge.

"The international community must prioritise the cash and manpower needed to tackle the job or risk an even bleaker casualty picture emerging in the coming years."

What is the Cluster Munitions Monitor?

The Cluster Munition Monitor is issued annually and tracks progress toward a world free of cluster bombs. It reports on ban policy, use, production, transfers, stockpiles, casualties, contamination, clearance, risk education, victim assistance and funding.