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Fourteen-year-old Firas had just returned home from school in Syria when his house was shelled. Shrapnel from the explosion flew through the air at the speed of a bullet, hitting Firas in his legs. He was rushed to hospital across the border in Lebanon but his injuries were so bad that his right leg had to be amputated.

In the second of a two-part travelogue, Denis Ricca, who is leading a team of explosive remnants of war surveyors describes his team’s work with local communities in Moyen-Charir, a region of southern Chad. The work of the surveyors is an important first step before full demining activities begin.

Irma was 11 when her life changed forever. She was out gathering wood to make brooms which her family sold to make a living. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion.

Meet 6-year-old Khendo and Nirmala, 7, from Nepal. They first met at Bir Hospital in Kathmandu after they both tragically lost a leg in the earthquake that struck the country in April 2015. For the last three months they have laughed together, gone through their rehabilitation together and awaited their new prosthetic legs together. In that time they have formed a very special bond.

Four months after Nepal was struck by an earthquake, over 2.8 million people are still in need of help. Handicap International continues to support vulnerable people in remote communities that have become increasingly inaccessible due to the monsoon.

Around the world, about 1 in 8 people are over the age of 60, and 15% of the world population is living with some kind of disability. In emergencies, older people and people with disabilities thus make up a significant part of the affected population. Moreover, the risk of disability often increases as a result of conflict or natural disaster, due to injuries and poor health care. For example, a survey by HelpAge and Handicap International found that 22% of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon had an impairment.

A UN Security Council Open Debate on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict will be held on 19th January 2016. Handicap International urges States to take action against the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, which killed or injured 32,000 civilians in 2014.[1]

This December, UK school students and campaigners from Cornwall to the Highlands raised their voices for the victims of conflict in countries like Syria, as part of the Forgotten 10 Challenge. Students raised awareness among their peers, Pyramids of Shoes were built, Tea at 10 coffee mornings took place, and lots of support was gathered for the Stop Explosive Weapons petition.

Supporters and representatives of Handicap International UK delivered a petition at Downing Street yesterday urging the Prime Minister, David Cameron, to ensure that UK Aid helps save the lives and limbs of civilians affected by conflict. An incredible 61,520 people added their voices to the petition online and at events around the UK to raise awareness about the victims of landmines and unexploded bombs.

New research published today shows that older, disabled and injured Syrian refugees are paying a double toll as a result of the conflict. The report, released by Handicap International and HelpAge International, provides new data showing how much these vulnerable refugees are struggling to meet their specific needs.

Abdallah, 11, was injured in a bombing raid in Syria. He is now paraplegic and lives with his mother, brothers and sisters in a shelter for refugees in Lebanon. Since he arrived in the Beqaa Valley in September 2015, he has been supported by a Handicap International team* who are helping him to gradually recover and meet the new challenges he is facing.

Abdel Rahman, 13, has muscular dystrophy. At the end of 2015, he and his family arrived in Azraq camp, Jordan, where he is being supported by a Handicap International team*. Abdel's physiotherapy sessions are helping him adapt to life in the camp.

South Sudan’s brutal two-year civil war is forcing an increasing number of civilians, who are often the victims of violence, to flee their homes. Over two million people have been internally displaced or taken refuge in a neighbouring country since the start of the conflict. Present in South Sudan since 2006, Handicap International is providing humanitarian response to people caught up in the fighting, particularly in the field of health.

Injured in an air strike, Bushra receives help from Handicap International’s team in one of several hospitals in Yemen where we provide support to victims of the conflict.

The Ubuntu Care¹ project combats sexual violence against children, particularly children with disabilities, in Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda. Launched in November 2012, it has already provided care and treatment to 600 child victims of sexual violence. Regional coordinator Sofia Hedjam describes the programme and its achievements.