As military efficiency of weapons increases, so does their likelihood of injuring civilians

Indiscriminate use of weapons in war obviously endangers the civilian population. On p 410 Coupland and Samnegaard use the database of the International Committee of the Red Cross to show that the proportion of civilians injured by mines and fragmenting munitions (mortars, shells, bombs, etc) is greater than that injured by bullets, a phenomenon which is magnified in an urban environment. This variation is explained by the users of certain weapons being removed from their victims in either space or time. The authors argue for greater respect for the Fourth Geneva Convention and for control on the transfer of weapons into the hands of untrained and undisciplined users.

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Relevant Article

Effect of type and transfer of conventional weapons on civilian injuries: retrospective analysis of prospective data from Red Cross hospitals

Robin M Coupland and Hans O Samnegaard
BMJ 1999 319: 410-412. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]