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Statistics of Wars, Oppressions and Atrocities of the Twenty-First Century

Site Index

Alphabetical Index


New (or intensified) Wars and Conflicts:

Over 100,000 killed

Sudan, Darfur, (2003- ) 200,000 [make link]
  • BBC News, “Q&A: Sudan's Darfur conflict,” May 29, 2007: 200,000 [http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/africa/3496731.stm]
  • Human Rights Watch, “Q & A: Crisis in Darfur,” January 29, 2007: 200,000 [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/05/05/darfur8536.htm]
  • Sam Dealey, “An Atrocity That Needs No Exaggeration”, New York Times, August 12, 2007
  • Alfred de Montesquiou, “As Darfur violence continues, some question death estimates”, Associated Press, November 29, 2006
  • “Prosecutor Accuses Bashir Forces of Murder, Rape, Pillage,” allAfrica.com, March 2, 2009, [http://allafrica.com/stories/200903020185.html]
  • Robert Booth, “No money, not enough food, rampant sickness, night-time raids. Darfur today”, Guardian (UK) December 7, 2007: 200,000
  • Hissa Hissa, “UN envoy in Darfur rebel heartland to muster support for peace talks”, Associated Press, December 8, 2007: 200,000
Iraq War (2003-2011) 171,000 [make link]
  • Running Online Tallies:
  • BBC, “Iraqi official: War dead 100,000,” 10 November 2006, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6135526.stm
  • Kim Gamel, Associated Press, April 24, 2009: over 110,000 Iraqi deaths since 2003
  • BBC, “New study says 151,000 Iraqi dead”, 10 January 2008 [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7180055.stm]
  • Jonathan Steele and Suzanne Goldenberg, "What is the real death toll in Iraq?" Guardian, 19 March 2008, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/19/iraq]
  • Tina Susman, "Poll: Civilian Death Toll in Iraq May Top 1 Million", Los Angeles Times, 14 September 2007: 1.2 million
  • Rebecca Santana, "85,000 Iraqis killed in almost 5 years of war", Associated Press, October 14, 2009
    • Iraqi Human Rights Ministry: 85,694 Iraqis killed 1 Jan. 2004 to 31 Oct. 2008 including Iraqi civilians, military and police, but not insurgents or foreigners.
    • Associated Press: 110,600 Iraqis died violently, 2003 invasion through early 2009
    • World Health Organization (2007): 151,000 Iraqis died from violence, 2003-05, including insurgents.
    • Johns Hopkins University study published in Lancet (2006): 601,027 Iraqis died as a result of violence.
    • Pentagon: 4,349 Americans k. (as of 14 Oct 2009)
  • Lara Jakes, "US says Iraq War led to 77k deaths over 5 years", Associated Press, Oct 14, 2010
    • US Military estimate: 76,939 Iraqi security officials and civilians killed
    • Iraq Body Count: 98,252 to 107,235 Iraqi civilians were killed (March 2003 to 19 Sept 2010)
    • 2009 Iraqi Human Rights Ministry: 85,694
  • Crawford, Boston University, "Civilian Death and Injury in Iraq, 2003-2011" [http://costsofwar.org/article/iraqi-civilians]
    • Iraqi civilians: 126,000+
    • Iraqi military killed at the outset of the war: ca. 10,000
    • insurgents: ca. 19,000 killed (June 2003-Sept. 2007)
    • Iraqi military and police: 10,100+ killed since June 2003
    • US, allied soldiers and contractors: ca. 6,300
    • Total: ca. 171,000
  • ABC News [Australia], "162,000 people killed in Iraq war: NGO", January 03, 2012. citing Iraq Body Count [http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-03/iraq-war-death-toll-put-at-162000/3755768?section=world]
    • Iraqi civilians: 114,000+
    • Iraqi police: 9,019
    • US soldiers: 4,474
    • Total: 162,000
Syria, revolt against Bashar al-Assad (2011- ) 470,000 [make link]
  • Priyanka Boghani, "A Staggering New Death Toll for Syria’s War — 470,000" PBS Fronline (February 11, 2016): "According to the SCPR analysis, the vast majority of deaths — 400,000 — were caused by violence, while 70,000 came as an indirect result of the war — the collapse of the country’s health-care infrastructure, lack of access to medicine, poor sanitation, the spread of communicable diseases, falling vaccination rates, food scarcity and malnutrition."

Between 10,000 and 100,000 killed

Ituri, Congo Major (1999-2007) 60,000 [make link]
  • March 2, 2005 CNN: "According to the U.N., fighting between the Hema and Lendu tribes in Ituri has claimed more than 50,000 lives since 1999"
  • Human Rights Watch: 60,000+ [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2005/03/11/congo10311.htm]
Afghanistan (2001- ) 45,600 [make link]
  • TOTALS:
    • Crawford, Boston University, "Civilian Death and Injury in Afghanistan, 2001-2011" [http://costsofwar.org/article/afghan-civilians]
      • Total: 30,400 to 45,600 killed, incl....
        • Afghan soldiers, police, insurgents: 15,000 to 28,000 killed
        • Civilians: 12,500 to 14,700 killed
    • Rogers and Sedghi, 10 March 2011, Guardian, "Afghanistan civilian casualties":
      • 9759 civilians killed 2006-2010
    • Iraq Coalition Casualty Count:
      • 2930 Coalition fatalities, including 1913 USAns (to 18 March 2012)
  • EARLIER estimates
    • 26 Aug. 2002 Newsweek: 960-1,000+ Taliban POWs murdered by Northern Alliance
    • 20 May 2002 [London] Guardian: Max. war-related avoidable deaths: 49,600
      • Remained at home, relief disrupted: 40,000 d. max.
      • Refugee d. in camps: 1,600
      • Refugee d. outside the camps: 8,000
      • Of those, 60%-80% would have happened anyway, so 20%-40% US fault: 10,000-19,840 at max.
      • Also cited: Director of the Project for Defence Alternatives: above 20,000 d. unlikely.
    • 12 Feb. 2002 [London] Guardian: 2,000-8,000
      • Marc Herold: 3,767 (Oct. 7-Dec. 6) [http://www.cursor.org/stories/civilian_deaths.htm]. Revised overall death toll (October 7 to February 6) is 3,000 to 3,600 [Guardian (London), 20 May 2002]
      • 14 Oct. 2002 Time: <3,000
      • 3 June 2002 LA Times: 1,067 to 1,201 civilian deaths (not incl. 497 deaths that were not identified as either civilian or military). Also cited:
        • Relief officials with interim Afghan government: 1,000 to 2,000
        • Herold: 3,050 to 3,500
      • Project on Defense Alternatives (18 Jan. 2002): 1,000-1,300 [http://www.comw.org/pda/0201oef.html]
      • 11 Feb. 2002 AP: 500-600
      • Some officials of Human Rights Watch privately: 100-350 by Dec. 2001 [http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0207-03.htm or http://wsjclassroomedition.com/tj_120401_casu.htm]
      • MEDIAN: 1,134-1,500
Pakistan, Al Qaeda/Taliban War, (2004- ) 36,000 [make link]
  • Crawford, Boston University, "Civilian Death and Injury in Pakistan, 2001-2011" [http://costsofwar.org/article/pakistani-civilians]
    • 36,000 Pakistanis have been killed from 2004 to 2010
    • US drone strikes have killed approximately 2,300-2,500 people
Mexico, Drug War, (2006- ) 47,500 [make link]
  • Associated Press, January 11, 2012, "Mexican drug war toll: 47,500 killed in 5 years" [CBS: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57357503/mexican-drug-war-toll-47500-killed-in-5-years/]
Libya, revolt against Gaddafi (2011) 30,000 [make link]
  • Downie, "When Numbers Lie: Why isn’t there an accurate death toll in Libya?" April 1, 2011, New Republic: estimates run from 1,000 (UN) to 2,000 (World Health Org.) to 10,000 (Intern'l Criminal Court)
  • Laub, "Libyan estimate: At least 30,000 died in the war", AP, Sept. 8 2011
South Sudan, civil war between Dinka and Nuer (2013-15) 10,000 [make link]
  • "South Sudan foes agree to end conflict" 1 February 2015 BBC: 10,000

Fewer than 10,000 killed

Jihadist Terrorism, against the United States and others, (1993- ) [make link]
  • 1st World Trade Ctr Bombing (26 February 1993): 6 k. (Snopes [http://www.snopes2.com/rumors/clinton.htm])
  • Riyadh bomb (13 Nov. 1995): 5 Americans, 2 Indians k.; 4 suspects executed. (Snopes)
  • Khobar Towers (25 June 1996): 19 k (Snopes [http://www.snopes2.com/rumors/clinton.htm])
  • US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, 7 Aug. 1998
    • 18 May 2001 NY Times: 224 k.
    • Snopes: 224
    • 23 Sept. 2001 St. Petersburg Times: 213 k. in Nairobi; 11 in Dar es Salaam
    • 22 Dec. 2000 USA Today: 301 k., incl. 11 USAns
    • 19 Dec. 1999 Newsday: 259 k.
  • USS Cole, Oct. 2000
    • 17 US sailors k. + 2 bombers (Snopes, also Washington Post (7 July 2001))
  • Sept. 11, 2001 attacks:
    • 10 Jan. 2002 CBS [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/10/archive/main323918.shtml]
      • WTC, official NYC count: 2,893
      • AP
        • WTC: 2,794, incl. 2 jets
        • Pentagon: 184
        • Pennsylvania: 40
        • Total: 3,018, not incl. 19 hijackers on 4 planes
    • 23 Aug. 2002 USA Today
      • WTC
        • NYC Police Dept: 2,823
        • NYC Medical Examiner: 2,819
        • Newday: 2,814
        • USA Today: 2,801
        • AP: 2,786
      • Elsewhere (not incl. hijackers)
        • Pentagon: 184
        • Pennsylvania: 40
    • 29 Oct. 2003 NY Times: NYC officials trim 40 names off the list of dead in the WTC collapse. New total: 2,749-2,752
  • Bali bombing, 12 Oct. 2002
    • 12 Oct. 2003 CNN: 202 k.
  • Madrid subway bombing, 11 March 2004
    • 20 April 2004 CNN: 190
Guinea, Gov't vs. RFDG (2000- ) [make link]
  • Ploughshares 2000: 1,000
Macedonia (2001) [make link]
  • Albanian uprising: unknown
Ivory Coast, Civil War (2002-08) [make link]
  • 26 March 2003 AP: 3,000
  • Project Ploughshares (2009): 4,000+ [http://www.ploughshares.ca/content/c%C3%B4te-divoire-2002-2008#Deaths]
Yemen, Gov't vs. Houthi rebels (2004- ) [make link]
  • Project Ploughshares (2010): "Between 3,820 and 5,820 militants and civilians are reported to have been killed since the first outbreak of violence." [http://www.ploughshares.ca/content/yemen-2004-first-combat-deaths#deaths]
Ukraine, Ukraine vs. Russian separatists (2014- ) [make link]
  • NY Times (29 Aug. 2014) "Death Toll in Ukraine Conflict Exceeds 2,200, U.N. Says": 2220
  • NBC (29 Aug. 2014) "Ukraine Death Toll Jumps to 2,593: U.N. Rights Official"
  • [Neither estimate includes the 298 civilians killed when the Malaysian airliner was shot down.]
Gaza, Israel vs. Hamas (2014- ) [make link]
  • "Gaza crisis: Toll of operations in Gaza" BBC (27 Aug 2014): "Between 8 July and 26 August, more than 2,100 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip, along with 64 Israeli soldiers and seven civilians in Israel."
Iraq, ISIS insurgency (2014- ) [make link]
  • "Iraqi civilian death toll passes 5,500 in wake of Isis offensive" 18 July 2014 AP: "In its report, the UN mission to Iraq says at least 5,576 civilians were killed... from 1 January until the end of June."

Continued from Twentieth Century

Ongoing

  1. Colombia
  2. India, sporadic sectarian violence
  3. Indonesia - Aceh
  4. Indonesia - Irian Jaya
  5. Irian Jaya
  6. Israel-Palestine
  7. Kashmir
  8. Korean DMZ
  9. Myanmar
  10. Nigeria, sporadic sectarian violence
  11. North Korea
  12. Philippines
  13. Somalia
  14. Uganda, Lord's Resistance Army

Finished

  1. Afghanistan, Taliban (to 2001)
  2. Algeria (to 2002)
  3. Chechnya (to 2009)
  4. Congo Major (to 2003)
  5. Ethiopia vs. Eritrea (to 2000)
  6. Indonesia - Moluccas (to 2004)
  7. Iraq, Sanctions (to 2003)
  8. Kurdistan
  9. Moluccas (to 2004)
  10. Nepal (to 2006)
  11. Russia - Chechnya (to 2009)
  12. Sierra Leone (to 2002)
  13. Sri Lanka (to 2009)
  14. Sudan (to 2005)

List of Recurring Sources

to Table of Contents

Last updated Jan. 2015

Copyright © 2001-15 Matthew White