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Aleema Shivji, Executive Director of Handicap International UK, explains how we are keeping up the pressure to ensure people with disabilities are not left behind in humanitarian crises.

In December 2016, Zeidan, 5, and his family fled the fighting in Mosul and took refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan. Zeidan, who has cerebral palsy, recently had his first ever physical therapy session, thanks to Handicap International’s team.

Mohamad, 9, was badly injured when his house in Syria was bombed. After initially struggling to adapt to his situation, he is now back at school and enjoying his studies.

The region of Grand Kasaï in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been the scene of intense violence in recent months. The resulting humanitarian crisis has affected more than two million people. Handicap International’s teams, present in Kananga since 2015, are working to assist the most vulnerable people.

Across East Africa, hundreds of thousands of people are leaving their homes in search of food and security. With such large numbers on the move and in need of assistance, Handicap international is concerned that some people may fall through the cracks. Our teams in Ethiopia, South Sudan and Somaliland are determined not to let this happen.

Handicap International has been testing whether computer assisted design and 3D printing can improve access to high-quality artificial limbs. As the first clinical trials conclude, we are pleased to announce positive results and the launch of the next phase of this cutting edge research. 

820,000 children in South Sudan, Somalia, Uganda and Ethiopia are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition in 2017. Handicap International’s pioneering treatment methods will help to ensure that they recover and thrive.

Handicap International's team took immediate action following the earthquake that struck Nepal on 25th April 2015. Two years on, we review the incredible impact we were able to make, thanks to our donors.

Nirmala, 9, and Khendo, 10, both had limbs amputated after being injured in the huge earthquake which hit Nepal on 25th April 2015. Humanity & Inclusion's team has provided them with ongoing rehabilitation care and artificial limb legs. With the right support, two years later the girls are both walking and back at school. Their transformation has been amazing.

A severe food crisis is advancing across East Africa, Nigeria and Yemen. Xavier Duvauchelle, Handicap International’s desk officer for the East Africa region, explains the scale of the disaster and how our teams on the ground are responding.

As the food crisis worsens across East Africa, individual stories from our program in South Sudan remind us that caring for vulnerable people during emergencies is a moral obligation.

In West Africa, millions of children don’t complete their primary education and some have never been to school. Handicap International estimates that one third of these children have a disability. Our inclusive education program runs in nine countries¹ in the region and will ensure that 170,000 children have the opportunity to learn, play, make friends and feel valued in society.

Cyclone Enawo hit Madagascar in March 2017, affecting more than 400,000 people. The storm severely damaged houses and infrastructure in the north-east of the country. Handicap International is now rebuilding 22 damaged schools in the regions of Analanjirofo and Diana to enable 8,500 students to return to their lessons.

Besides killing and causing horrific injuries, explosive weapons spread terror, make people fear for their lives, devastate vital infrastructure and prolong the effect of war even after the end of a conflict. On the International Day of Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, Handicap International highlights the incredible work of deminers all over the world.

A major food crisis triggered by drought and conflict is affecting more than 20 million people in East Africa. Concerned by both factors, Handicap International is working in Ethiopia to ensure the most vulnerable people have access to humanitarian aid and provide malnourished children with physical therapy.