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Following the passage of Hurricane Matthew, which hit Haiti on Tuesday 4th October, large swathes of the affected area remain inaccessible, making it difficult to assess the impact of the storm. The strength of the hurricane, its scale, and the poverty of the areas affected suggest significant humanitarian needs. Handicap International is preparing to send an emergency team to Haiti to assist victims of the disaster, in addition to its team already on the ground.

As Hurricane Matthew moves through the Caribbean, Handicap International plans to deploy an emergency team to Haiti in support of teams already present in the country. The team will assess needs and support people affected by the disaster. It is expected to leave within 48 hours, once affected areas become accessible again. 

The eastern districts of the city of Aleppo, in northern Syria, have been the target of sustained bombing for almost two weeks now. The damage to the civilian population is truly devastating. According to the United Nations, 320 civilians have been killed, including around one hundred children. Prohibited weapons, including cluster bombs, have been used.

On 4 October 1996, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) presented the Nansen Medal Award to Handicap International “for its work on behalf of refugees and its contribution to the campaign against anti-personnel mines.” On the 20th anniversary of receiving the award, Handicap International’s co-founder, Jean-Baptiste Richardier, reflects on an important chapter in the organization’s history.

One of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent years is expected to cause flooding and landslides when it passes by Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti on Monday 3rd and Tuesday 4th October. Handicap International teams in Haiti are preparing to provide assistance to the victims of this potentially devastating natural disaster.

Thomas Hugonnier, Head of Handicap International’s Mine Action program, oversees the organization’s clearance activities in Iraq, which aim to protect civilians from explosive remnants of war in the country.

Soumana Almouner Touré has worked for Handicap International since 2013. Originally from Gao, he coordinates the ESSPOIR project’s activities in Mali. He talked to us about the project, which helps malnourished children recover from developmental delays in three West African countries - Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger - by providing them with physical therapy and teaching parents to stimulate their children.

Handicap International is taking part in the Meeting of the First Committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations (disarmament and international security) in October 2016. Anne Héry, head of advocacy at Handicap International, explains why this meeting is important and the actions taken by the organization to end the bombing of civilians.

The United Nations General Assembly hosts a high-level meeting in New York on Monday 19th September to address large movements of refugees and migrants. According to the UNHCR[1], more than 65 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution or armed violence. Camille Gosselin, Handicap International’s humanitarian advocacy manager, explains the issues at stake in the meeting.

In June 2016, a fire destroyed an orthopedic center in the town of Tenkodogo, in the center of Burkina Faso. Part of the local hospital, it provided services to some 200 people a year.

Since June 2016, Handicap International and its local partner, AFRILAM, have cleared 92,000 square meters of land of mines and explosive remnants of war. The land, near Kisangani in northeast DR Congo, is equivalent to 15 football pitches. More than 4,000 people will benefit directly from the operation, which has already neutralized six anti-personnel landmines.

In preparation for the Paralympic Games, which recently kicked off in Rio, Brazil, Handicap International presented racing wheelchairs to Congolese athletes taking part in the competition. The Chair of the National Paralympic Committee of the Democratic Republic of Congo congratulated the organization on its initiative at the presentation ceremony.

President Barack Obama has doubled U.S. funding to clear the bombs and munitions polluting Laos. The funding increases to $90m over three years and will be spent on weapons clearance in a country that suffered near incessant U.S. bombing campaigns in the 1960s and 1970s

Every year, more than 250,000 people around the world sustain spinal cord injuries, mainly as a result of road accidents, falls or acts of violence. These injuries often cause disabilities. For more than 25 years, Handicap International, in conjunction with the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCOS), has provided quality rehabilitation care to injured people, and supported their inclusion in society and work. The 5th September is International Spinal Cord Injury Day.

Handicap International has been working in Libya since 2011. Due to the country’s extreme political and security instability the organization relocated its operation to Tunis in July 2014. Anne Barthès who has been leading the mission since February 2016, reflects on the programs currently being run by Handicap International, five years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.