Definition
Civilian harm covers the full range of negative outcomes inflicted on people not party to the fighting: deaths and injuries, destruction of homes and infrastructure, displacement, loss of livelihood, long-term psychological harm. Tracking civilian harm requires distinguishing combatants from non-combatants, which is itself contested in many conflicts.
Why this matters when reading conflict news
Civilian casualty figures are a central battleground of wartime reporting. The methodology used to count is at least as important as the count itself.