Published on: 9 May 2023 | Last updated: 1 November 2023
ACLED does not systematically code fatality figures according to which group suffered the fatalities. Most source reports do not consistently offer this level of detail, and the reliability of such information is variable. Instead, the event information includes (when available) the total number of deaths arising from each event. The estimated number of fatalities associated with a single event is reported in the Fatalities column.
The number of deaths caused by one actor or another in a conflict can be difficult to estimate, as events contain reported information on fatalities suffered by both parties. The only exception to this rule is when civilians are targeted since it is assumed, by definition, that the civilians were unarmed non-combatants and not responsible for any of the fatalities. For more, see this methodology primer on fatality coding.
