Casualty recording news & views

The items posted here illustrate why transparent, humanising casualty recording is crucial. Although news reports of casualties are a staple of journalism, less frequently explored are the complexities of the recording process, the immediate and long-term benefits of doing it properly and the many harms involved in failing to do so. This collection examines those issues.

UK showed no real interest in monitoring civilian casualties: Iraq Body Count on Chilcot Iraq Inquiry Report

First published 15th Jul 2016

The 7th of July 2016 saw the publication in London of the much-awaited Chilcot Iraq Inquiry Report which set out to “identify lessons that could be learned from the Iraq conflict” for the UK government. CRN member Iraq Body Count (IBC), has published its response to the report.

more...

Casualty figures for Syria, Ukraine, and Gaza: who is providing them and how?

First published 24th Sep 2014

Following the publication of casualty figures for the conflicts in Syria, Ukraine and Gaza this summer, we look into the origins of these numbers and what they tell us. more...

Three Casualty Recording Organisations Work with UN in Gaza to Provide Detailed Casualty Data

First published 6th Aug 2014

Three casualty-recording organisations are providing preliminary figures and identifying information to the news media, the United Nations, and the humanitarian community at large on the current on-going conflict in Gaza. more...

Casualty recording helps reduce armed violence, civilian casualties: new paper from AOAV

First published 2nd Jun 2014

A new policy paper from Action on Armed Violence shows the ways in which casualty records can help to reduce and prevent incidences of violence and resultant civilian casualties more...

Civilian victims of explosive weapons rises by 15%

First published 15th May 2014

A new report from Action on Armed Violence finds major increase in global civilian casualties from explosive violence more...

Casualty Recording and the Law of Armed Conflict

First published 16th Apr 2014

Professor Susan Breau analyses the recommendations of a joint summary from Every Casualty and AOAV on UN and state casualty recording practice, exploring how casualty recording ensures Member State compliance with the Law of Armed Conflict more...

Every Casualty endorses open letter on Sustainable Development Goal targets

First published 7th Apr 2014

Every Casualty joins others in endorsing an open letter on Sustainable Development Goals more...

States recognise importance of casualty data to peacekeeping missions

First published 4th Mar 2014

Protection of Civilians debate: States recognise the importance of timely and accurate casualty information to enhance peacekeeping missions and operations more...

Statement on IPN member abducted in Syria

First published 13th Dec 2013

The co-founder of Violation Documentation Center, a casualty recording organisation based in Syria and member of Every Casualty's International Practitioner Network, was abducted on December 10th by an unknown armed group, along with three other human rights activists. more...

Accepting truth, acknowledging loss: casualty records from Katyn to Afghanistan

First published 28th Oct 2013

A lack of transparency surrounding records of casualties in armed conflict continues to hamper reconciliation efforts everywhere from Poland to Afghanistan - even decades after the end of a conflict. The United States refusal to identify or publicly acknowledge drone strike casualties is a worrying continuation of this trend. more...

Syria and beyond: data demands and intervention policy

First published 18th Oct 2013

In this article originally published on Open Security, Jacob Beswick, of the Every Casualty programme at Oxford Research Group, looks at the parliamentary debate on the question of UK intervention in Syria, and the importance of casualty and other data to such policy decisions. more...