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Frequently asked questions: Cluster Munitions

  • Cluster munitions are weapons that disperse multiple explosive submunitions over large areas, often spanning several thousand square metres. Since these submunitions are generally free-falling, various factors – such as human error and wind – can cause them to strike well outside the intended target area. Furthermore, many fail to explode upon impact, leaving behind dangerous remnants that pose long-term risks to civilians and communities.  

    These weapons have killed or injured thousands of civilians, causing devastating harm that extends beyond physical injuries to affect mental health, education, livelihoods and community life.   

    According to the Cluster Munitions Report (2026), at least 1,063 people were killed or injured by cluster munitions in 2025—one of the highest annual totals recorded since data collection began in 2010. However, the true number is likely higher, as many incidents go unreported. Civilians accounted for 87% of recorded casualties in 2025, highlighting the severe and indiscriminate impact of these weapons. This high proportion of civilian harm reflects the nature of cluster munitions, which cause destruction both at the time of the strike and from unexploded remnants left behind. 

  • The Convention on Cluster Munitions, adopted in 2008, prohibits the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of these weapons. As of August 2026, 112 States are Parties to the Convention. For the latest updates, see: IHL Treaties - Convention on Cluster Munitions, 2008 Ratification or States Parties – The Convention on Cluster Munitions. 

    Key obligations for States Parties include:  

    • Not to use cluster munitions under any circumstances. 
    • Destroying stockpiles within eight years. 
    • Clearing contaminated land.  
    • Providing comprehensive assistance to victims, including medical care, rehabilitation, and support for social and economic reintegration.  

    Since its adoption, the Convention has significantly reduced the use of cluster munitions. It has also led to the destruction of nearly 1.5 million cluster munitions and 180 million sub-munitions stockpiles – representing all declared stockpiles from 42 States Parties. In addition, large-scale clearance of contaminated land has enabled communities to return safely and rebuild their lives. 

    Despite these achievements, recent developments risk eroding life-saving protections and weaken decades of global efforts to eradicate these inhumane weapons. Upholding and strengthening humanitarian disarmament efforts is essential to protect civilians and maintain momentum toward a world free of cluster munitions.  

    If States not Party to the Convention or non-State armed group use cluster munitions, they must comply with IHL, in particular the principles and rule of distinction, proportionality and precautions. Because cluster munitions disperse multiple explosive submunitions over large areas, their use in populated area entails a high likelihood of indiscriminate affect. The ICRC calls on all States and parties to armed conflict to immediately stop using producing, transferring and stockpiling cluster munitions.  

  • Cluster munitions pose unique dangers to civilians due to their wide-area effects and long-lasting contamination: 

    • Wide-area effects: these weapons strike indiscriminately, often hitting civilians and infrastructure far beyond their intended targets. Their use in urban areas leads to high casualties and extensive damage to homes, hospitals, schools, roads, water systems, and other essential services. 
    • Unexploded submunition: many submunitions fail to detonate, contaminating fields, forests, and neighbourhoods. This hinders displaced families from returning home, delays infrastructure repairs, and obstructs economic recovery. Clearing unexploded submunitions is a complex, dangerous and time-consuming process that can take decades. For example, Bosnia and Herzegovina declared itself free of cluster munitions more than 30 years after its conflict ended, while Laos is still clearing cluster munitions contamination from the 1970s. 
    • Impact on children: Children are disproportionately affected, accounting for a significant share of the casualties in most countries. Submunitions, often painted in bright colours, attract children who mistake them for toys. These devices can detonate with the slightest disturbance, causing severe injuries or death.  

    Children’s smaller size and developing bodies make them especially vulnerable to severe injuries, including higher rates of amputation, fatal blood loss, and long-term disabilities. Beyond physical harm, children often suffer serious psychological effects, including anxiety, fear, and post-traumatic stress, disrupting their development and well-being.  

  • Survivors of cluster munitions face lifelong physical, psychological and socio-economic challengers. Injuries often lead to escalating health care costs, limited access to education and barriers to employment, particularly in conflict-affected areas where infrastructure is damaged and resources are scarce.  

    Rehabilitation is not just a service – it is a lifeline. It prevents survivors from being left behind and helps break the cycle of escalating vulnerability.  

    The ICRC’s Physical Rehabilitation Programme (PRP) plays a vital role by offering comprehensive, person-centred services tailored to survivors’ complex needs. This includes:  

    • early and sustained physiotherapy to rebuild strength and mobility.  
    • prosthetic and orthotic services that provide tailored solutions.  
    • mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to help survivors process trauma, cope with loss and adapt to their new reality.  

    While prosthetic limbs and rehabilitation can restore mobility and independence, only prevention can ensure that no one suffers the devastating injuries or lifelong consequences caused by these weapons. 

    The Convention on Cluster Munitions is about more than prohibiting a weapon – it is about protecting civilians, restoring dignity to survivors, and ensuring that no community is forced to live with the deadly legacy of past wars. 

  • Today, the ICRC partners with 20 National Societies of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, with more than 2,100 staff and volunteers working alongside communities at risk to help reduce their exposure to harm. Their proximity to affected populations and sustained local presence enable continued engagement with communities to understand how risks and patterns of exposure evolve and to adapt support accordingly. 

    This work is particularly important in high-risk, hard-to-reach and active conflict settings. In situations where contamination is newly created, or where insecurity and operational constraints delay survey and clearance activities, risk awareness and safer behaviour may be one of the few immediately available measures that can help communities reduce their exposure to harm. It complements States Parties' obligations to clear contaminated areas; it is important to underscore however that it is no substitute for clearance. 

    The ICRC also works together with states to develop capacity within national organizations involved in survey and clearance activities by providing training and equipment to ensure upholding international standards. In this regard, the ICRC is about to launch a remote sensing capacity that will not only speed up the land release process, but also make it safer and more cost effective. 

  • Humanitarian disarmament treaties save lives even beyond their States Parties by reshaping global norms against unacceptable weapons. These treaties play a critical role in upholding humanitarian principles, reduce the risk of conflict escalation and build trust among states. They are a bulwark for the most challenging times, a crucial safeguard to ensure that humanity prevails in armed conflict.   

    Prioritizing humanitarian disarmament is essential in both peace and conflict. Through such efforts, we can strengthen international humanitarian law by preventing, mitigating and remediating human suffering and environmental harm caused by weapons like cluster munitions.  

  • As part of the joint endeavour with wider Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to reduce the effects of cluster munitions on civilians,  

    Commending the commitment of the States Parties to the Convention to a world free of cluster munition, the ICRC calls on them to: 

    • Faithfully implement the Convention. 
    • Condemn the use of cluster munitions by anyone, anywhere, under any circumstances. 

    The ICRC also urges all States to:  

    • Promptly sign, ratify or accede to the Convention and avoid weakening its protections. 
    • Promote public awareness of how disarmament and international humanitarian law save lives.  

    The ICRC also calls on all States and parties to armed conflict to immediately stop using producing, transferring and stockpiling cluster munitions.  

    Additionally, States should: 

    • Adopt comprehensive victim assistance measures, including physical rehabilitation, mental health support, and social reintegration. 
    • Ensure timely access to rehabilitation services to prevent escalating vulnerability and enable survivors to regain independence and dignity. 
    • Focus on quality-of-life outcomes, such as education, employment, and community participation, as measures of success in victim assistance. 
    • Invest in sustainable national rehabilitation systems by training local professionals, establishing accessible centres, and ensuring affordable assistive devices. 

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