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Bayan is twelve-years-old. Born with spina bifida, a condition where the spine does not develop properly, she has reduced mobility. Every week, she visits a rehabilitation center equipped for physical therapy sessions by Handicap International, with support from ECHO . She’s also likely to be given orthoses to help her walk again.

Already present in the field, Handicap International’s teams are ready to launch an emergency response after a violent earthquake hit Afghanistan and Pakistan at 10am today, Monday 26 October. According to initial estimates made within hours of the disaster, dozens of people have been killed and hundreds injured around the epicenter, which is located in a mountainous area separating the two countries.

More than 8,700 people were killed and 22,400 people injured in the earthquake that hit Nepal on 25 April 2015. Nearly six months on, thousands still need help and Handicap International’s teams continue to provide them with support.

Making schools accessible to everyone, including children with disabilities, raises both challenges and hopes. It’s a goal that Handicap International is doing everything possible to achieve and, for Estelle Kougougou, who manages these projects in Burkina Faso and Niger, it’s a challenge we can meet.

Russian-made cluster munitions, including models used for the first time in this conflict, were deployed in the region of Aleppo in early October, according to reports by the NGO Human Rights Watch , although it has not been determined if they were used by Russian or Syria troops.

As part of a consortium of seven humanitarian agencies, since September 2014, Handicap International has been a member of the Age and Disability Capacity Building Program (ADCAP).  This initiative aims at developing the skills of humanitarian organizations to ensure emergency response is more inclusive of people with disabilities and/or older people. Ricardo Pla Cordero, a humanitarian action inclusion technical adviser at Handicap International, explains why this initiative is important.

A survey by Handicap International has revealed that 75% of people with disabilities believe they are excluded from humanitarian aid. The report on people with disabilities and humanitarian response, entitled Disability in Humanitarian Contexts is published on 14th October. As the report is launched, 900 representatives of the humanitarian sector are meeting in Geneva to prepare for the World Humanitarian Summit.

It’s 6 a.m., the team stirs. No need for shrill alarms here, the many roosters strolling around freely outside are enough to make sure everyone is awake. Few words are exchanged. There’s no need for these men and women who have been living together for more than twenty days a month. Everyone knows what they have to do and they busy themselves effectively: putting away the mosquito nets and the mattresses, checking the cars, loading drinkable water, changing from flip-flops to boots…

As the Russian air force launch their operations in Syria, Handicap International has issued a reminder that the use of cluster munitions is prohibited by an international convention (also known as the Oslo Treaty) signed or ratified by 118 States. The organization remains vigilant as to any use of these weapons.

After losing his left leg to a landmine, Flavio was encouraged by our physical therapist to take up swimming as part of his rehabilitation. Today Flavio is training to swim for Colombia at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janiero.

On 27 August, Handicap International organized a diploma awards ceremony for 72 graduates of its rehabilitation technician training course. This course - the first of its kind in Haiti - aims at strengthening local rehabilitation skills. During the 2010 earthquake, the country had just 13 physical therapists.  This is a major achievement and opens up new possibilities for the future.

The decision last April by the sitting president to run for a third term created a climate of instability and violence in Burundi. Tensions remain high. Handicap International has made changes to its operations in order to provide support to people affected by the crisis. Catherine Gillet, the director of Handicap International in Burundi, tells us more.

Fatma Wangare had a successful career in the hotel industry. But following the birth of her daughter, who has a learning disability, and the many obstacles she had to overcome to ensure she received care and an education, Fatma decided to take her life in a totally different direction. For the last 11 years, she has been the manager of the Kenya Association of the Intellectually Handicapped (KAIH).