Counting the Dead: War and Statistics

 This chapter examines the evolution of statistical analysis for measuring war casualties and its impact on the development of DAC. Since the 18th century, states have employed statistics to gain insight into their societies. War has been a primary area where such statistics have been utilized. However, the collection and analysis of statistical data in wars is inherently challenging due to the potential for inaccuracy. This chapter examines the case of the Vietnam War, where the U.S. military has been accused of fabricating data when generating statistical information. Similarly, in authoritarian regimes, it is not uncommon for accurate data on human rights abuses and violations of humanitarian law to be either not collected or not disclosed to the public. In response, the humanitarian network has conducted statistical surveys of citizens. This chapter analyzes the cases of the Guatemalan Civil War, the Yugoslav Wars, and the Syrian conflict, and reveals how the humanitarian network has functioned in statistical analysis.