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1st August 2015 is the 5th anniversary of the entry into force of the Oslo Convention banning the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions. Despite the clear success of the convention, which has been signed by 117 countries to date, cluster munitions were still being used in conflicts in 2015.

Fanta, 8, lives with her parents and her little brother in Kono district, Sierra Leone. Last year, she went to school for the very first time. But the Ebola virus closed schools across the country, including hers.

Handicap International is preparing to launch a response in aid of the most vulnerable individuals affected by flooding and landslides in Sri Lanka, which was hit by Cyclone Roanu on 15th May.

When Typhoon Haiyan tore across the Philippines in November 2013, Erlinda was left without a means to earn her livelihood. As part of Handicap International’s livelihood project, she was given a sow in October 2014 and trained to manage this value resource. Since then, Erlinda has made a lot of progress and now has a brand new pigsty and 14 piglets.

More than 8,800 people were killed and over 22,000 were injured in the earthquake, which struck Nepal in April 2015. Nearly one million homes were also destroyed or damaged.

Halima, 9, lives with cerebral palsy. She finds everyday things - gripping a pen, keeping her back straight, coordinating her movements - a challenge. Thanks to Handicap International, this young Somalian girl has a wheelchair and now benefits from rehabilitation sessions. Halima is keeping up her efforts and becoming more self-reliant.

In Sierra Leone, Handicap International plays an active role in campaigns to inform people of the ways in which the virus is transmitted and what they can do to limit the risk of contamination. To ensure everyone is well informed, Handicap International has organised the translation of the campaign’s messages into Braille and sign language and has produced an information book for children.

The lives of civilians in Gaza are still endangered by explosive remnants of war , one year after the outbreak of fighting between Israel and Palestinian on 7 July 2014. At least 4,500 explosive devices  are still buried under the rubble of houses and infrastructure destroyed during the 50-day conflict. Handicap International immediately supplied aid to the most vulnerable individuals and, since March, it has organised risk education sessions on explosive remnants of war to prevent more people falling victims to these weapons.

Following the 2014 conflict in Gaza, thousands of unexploded bombs and other ordnance (UXO) lay hidden under rubble and inside damaged buildings. Despite clearance efforts, Gaza is still contaminated by 4,500 items which pose a serious threat to civilians, many of whom do not realise that the bombs can still explode. To prevent injuries and deaths, Handicap International teams travel throughout Gaza educating residents - like Hamza - about what to do when they find potentially dangerous objects.

More than 90 people were killed and 270 injured after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia's Aceh province on Wednesday 7th December. Already present in the country, Handicap International is assessing the needs of those affected in preparation for a possible emergency response.

The lives of civilians in the Gaza Strip are still at risk from explosive remnants of war, one year after the start of the conflict between Israel and Palestinian armed groups. Active in Gaza since 1996, Handicap International has been conducting risk education activities to help prevent accidents in the future. Guillaume Zerr, the head of Handicap International’s mission in the Palestinian Territories, explains more.

Without immediate and thorough rehabilitation, people with serious injuries can develop complications that can make it difficult or impossible for them to regain their mobility. Nowhere is this clearer than with the Nepal earthquake survivors who had legs amputated.

Sunil Pokhrel, Senior Physiotherapist at Handicap International Nepal, discusses how our teams are helping earthquake survivors with amputations to walk again.

Since March 2015, Handicap International has been leading risk education sessions in several parts of the Gaza strip. After the military operations in July and August 2014 there are explosive remnants of war absolutely everywhere, which poses a serious threat to the population.

More than 1,500,000 people were affected when Typhoon Nock-Ten (known locally as Typhoon Nina) made landfall in the Philippines on 25th December 2016. Handicap International is now helping victims of the disaster to access accommodation and drinking water.

Lyon will be playing host to the World Congress of the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) between 22 and 25 June. Handicap International, which has its head office in Lyon, will use this congress to underline the importance of enabling people to access rehabilitation services at each stage of a humanitarian operation, from emergency operations to development programmes. Physical rehabilitation enables individuals to make full use of their physical abilities and promotes their inclusion within society.