Guns kill more people each year than landmines. According to the UN, there are over 750 million illicit weapons in circulation globally.
The majority of illicit weapons are stolen from government stockpiles. They fall into the hands of insurgents, extremists and criminal gangs in countless countries, from Central America to West Africa and the Balkans. They are used in terrorist attacks, human trafficking, and to stoke violence in fragile states. They also fuel domestic violence, which disproportionately affects women and girls.
Explosions of illicit and state-held ammunition stockpiles are a major risk. They cause thousands of casualties and millions of dollars of damage. As these stockpiles are often in urban centres, the recovery from accidental explosions can take many years.