New SANA Briefing Paper investigates challenges to measuring casualties in Libya

Although Libya's estimated rate of violent deaths is still far below those of Syria and several Central American nations, it remains significant, ranking eighth globally for 2016. This unenviable situation is symptomatic of the ongoing turmoil and instability facing the country since 2011.

In fact, the human toll may well be much worse, as efforts to measure violent deaths in the country have been largely inconsistent and uncoordinated so far. Actors working to measure these casualties often use differing approaches, definitions, and criteria which has resulted in widely varied death estimates and a lack of consistent reporting.

In this new Briefing Paper from the Small Arms Survey’s Security Assessment in North Africa (SANA) project, casualty recording expert Hana Salama investigates the various challenges to measuring casualties in Libya. Salama carries out this analysis in the context of gathering data for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Indicator 16.1.2, which calls for states to report on ‘conflict-related deaths per 100,000 population, by sex, age, and cause’. In doing so, the analysis seeks to support discussions on developing a standardized methodology and mechanism to meet Indicator 16.1.2 from the perspective of an ongoing conflict.

• Download Counting Casualties: Operationalizing SDG Indicator 16.1.2 in Libya

• More on the Security Assessment in North Africa (SANA) project
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• Of interest on the topic Global Violent Deaths 2017: Time to Decide
• Also of interest on the topic Tracking Conflict-Related Deaths – A Preliminary Overview of Monitoring Systems

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