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1st August 2016 is the 6th anniversary of the entry into force of the Oslo Convention which bans the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions. Despite the undeniable success of the Convention, which has now been signed by 119 States, the use of cluster munitions has reached record levels since 2010.

Since January 2016, Handicap International runs a logistics platform to help humanitarian organisations reach the most vulnerable people in the Central African Republic (CAR). Despite challenging conditions, Handicap International’s lorries continue to deliver humanitarian aid to the most isolated areas of the country. Cyril Chérie, Handicap International’s logistics project manager in Bangui, tells us more.

In July 2011, Handicap International launched emergency operations in eastern Kenya in response to a massive influx of refugees from Somalia. Fleeing drought and famine in the Horn of Africa, hundreds of thousands of people settled in the Dadaab camp. With a population of 450,000 people, it became the world’s largest refugee camp. Still present in the camp, Handicap International provided assistance to 12,000 people in 2015.

Cluster bombs have been used in at least 47 airstrikes in Syria since 27 May 2016, according to the NGO Human Rights Watch[1]. Dozens of civilians were killed in these offensives. Before the release of these new figures, Human Rights Watch had already published two reports, in February 2016 and December 2015, condemning the use of cluster munitions in Syria.

The U.S. dropped more than two million tonnes of bombs on Laos during the Vietnam War. Humanity & Inclusion’s demining teams have been clearing deadly unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the country since 2006. HI deminer Lumngen, also a mother of two, explains what her job involves and what motivates her to do this challenging work.

3-year-old Fayez was injured in a suicide attack in Syria, in 2017. He and his parents have since taken refuge in Lebanon. Partially paralysed when he arrived in the country, he is now being treated by a team from Humanity & Inclusion, which is providing him with physiotherapy care.

More than 50,000 people in Laos have been killed or injured by explosive remnants of war leftover from the Vietnam War. Millions of bombs still litter the land. Handicap International mine risk education teams educate children and adults about how to protect themselves and reduce the risk of accidents from these deadly weapons.

Mohammed is a community volunteer. Every day, he rides his motorbike through local neighbourhoods of Timbuktu, Mali, in search of children with disabilities who do not attend school. 

On the 27th January 2019, a violent tornado heavily damaged several areas of Havana, Cuba’s capital city. Together with the 3 Cuban Disabled People’s Organizations, Humanity & Inclusion launched a series of actions to understand needs and help the population affected by the disaster. 

In emergency situations, many vulnerable people do not get sufficient assistance, either because of their disability or their isolation. On World Humanitarian Day, Handicap International is reaffirming its commitment to make humanitarian aid accessible to every person affected by a crisis.

Ahmed has lived in Azraq camp in Jordan with his wife and three children since April 2016. Caught in an air strike in Syria, Ahmed was hit in the head by shrapnel and sustained a traumatic brain injury. Over the last few days, Handicap International has been helping him learn to walk again. The UK Department for International Development (DFID) provides Handicap International with support as part of its response to the Syrian crisis in Jordan.

Huda, 5, was injured in an air strike in Syria, in June 2016.  Despite a traumatic brain injury and a fractured leg, the little girl is making a swift recovery thanks to the support of Handicap International. The organisation’s assistance to Syrian refugees in Jordan is supported by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection service (ECHO).

Ayman and Mohammad are two Syrian refugees who didn’t know each other before they arrived in Lebanon. Chance brought them together in Syria’s neighbouring country, where the two men are now rebuilding their lives with each other’s help and support from Handicap International. The organisation has provided them with rehabilitation care and given them equipment to make their daily lives easier. Ayman now volunteers for Handicap International to advance the rights of refugees with disabilities and injuries. 

Ibrahim lost his leg after being injured by shrapnel in Syria. Now walking again with a prosthesis, he has learnt to do his own repairs. But he is still facing barriers to being employed and his family struggles to get by.

Salam is 14 years old. Two years ago, her neighbourhood in Syria came under heavy bombardment. And her life was never the same again. Seeing her enter the courtyard of her family’s house today, it’s difficult to imagine the incredible path taken by this young woman, who has been supported by Handicap International since her arrival in Jordan. The organisation’s assistance to Syrian refugees in Jordan is supported by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection service (ECHO).