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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 centre equipped for physiotherapy sessions by Handicap International, with support from ECHO . She’s also likely to be given orthoses to help her walk again.

Over the weekend, Cyclone Mocha was expected to hit the world's largest refugee camp, bringing with it destructive winds, storm surge, and the potential for landslides. With 550 staff and volunteers at Cox's Bazar—home to nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees—in Bangladesh, Humanity & Inclusion teams launched emergency plans.

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.

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 Programme (ADCAP).  This initiative aims at developing the skills of humanitarian organisations 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.

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.

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 organisation remains vigilant as to any use of these weapons.

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).

On 27 August, Handicap International organised 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 physiotherapists.  This is a major achievement and opens up new possibilities for the future.

After losing his left leg to a landmine, Flavio was encouraged by our physiotherapist 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.

HI supports Khadidja, a 27-year-old entrepreneur, in repairing her prosthesis and opening her own business

For the first time, more than twenty States and several international organisations are gathering in Vienna, Austria, on 21 and 22 September 2015, to discuss a political solution aimed at ending the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. Handicap International will make the voice of survivors heard during the conference to ensure States take action against this unacceptable practice.

A new study by HI and iMMAP shows that much more can be done to ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities in humanitarian responses.