Cluster munitions kill, wound over 1,000 globally in 2025

What the report says

A new annual report from the Cluster Munition Coalition says cluster munitions killed or injured at least 1,063 people worldwide in 2025, making it one of the highest yearly totals on record. Al Jazeera, citing Reuters’ report published on September 9, 2026, said most of the victims were civilians and at least 34 were children.

The coalition recorded casualties in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Myanmar, Russia, Syria and Ukraine. Ukraine accounted for 87% of the global total and had the highest number of recorded casualties for the fourth straight year, according to the report. The coalition also said the real toll is likely higher because many incidents go unreported.

The report comes as concern continues over the use and persistence of cluster munitions, which disperse smaller explosives and can leave behind unexploded ordnance that endangers civilians long after fighting ends. The Convention on Cluster Munitions, which took effect in 2010, bans the use, production and stockpiling of the weapons and now has 112 states parties, according to the article.

The coalition said cluster munitions were used by several governments and armed groups in 2025 and pointed to new production evidence in multiple countries. It also said cuts to US foreign aid affected clearance work, contributing to 117 deaths and injuries. These findings underscore the continuing humanitarian risks tied to the weapons and to the slow removal of remnants after conflict.