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From 19 to 30 December, Sri Lanka was affected by severe flooding in 22 of the country’s 25 districts. Handicap International is currently working to help vulnerable people in the district of Batticaloa, a district previously devastated by the tsunami in 2004.

Handicap International is planning to set up a fourth demining team in North Lebanon in 2015, to speed up progress in the region.

The 50-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in July and August 2014 caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip. According to the United Nations, 18,000 homes were destroyed. The remaining rubble is estimated to contain between 7,000 and 10,000 unexploded devices, exposing those involved in the clean-up operation to serious harm. As of January 2015, Handicap International will be implementing a campaign to raise small businesses' and families' awareness of explosive remnants of war.

‘For years I’ve been watching dance programs on television and I always thought I’d never be able to dance myself’, says Reema (12) proudly, while she decorates herself with a traditional Nepalese dance outfit. Since she received a leg prosthesis from Handicap International, the always-smiling girl is realizing her wildest dream: she shines in dance competitions.

In 2005, six-year-old Kanha was playing in her family's courtyard when her father came home from his fields. He brought home a rusty metal object - scrap metal he planned to sell.

Roqaya, 14, was very seriously wounded by a shelling in Syria. Both of her legs had to be amputated at the knee. She didn’t know if she’d ever be able to walk again. But, less than a year later, she’s walking independently again thanks to the donations of our supporters and UK Aid.

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.