Explosive Weapons and Grave Violations against Children. Position Paper

This position paper starts with an outline of the international community’s growing concern over the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and then looks at the devastating impact that this has had on children and their families in Syria. The paper provides a global snapshot of how the use of explosive weapons in populated areas directly contributes to three grave violations against children and causes psychological harm. It draws on Save the Children’s direct experience of working with Syrians affected by the ongoing conflict, as well as data and experience from NGOs, research organisations and the UN. Save the Children is a founding member of the International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW). This paper supports INEW’s goal of stronger policy, practice and international standards on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas that will save children’s lives, protect them from injury, provide them with the opportunity to go to school and access medical care, and prevent them from developing lifelong psychological scars.