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Handicap International, active in Colombia since 1998 [1], is preparing to launch a five-year mine clearance operation in three of the country’s departments (Cauca, Meta and Caquetá). The organisation is also continuing to deliver awareness-raising on the risks associated with landmines and explosive remnants of war, as well as victim assistance.

Handicap International is preparing to launch mine clearance operations in Colombia after it was appointed by the government to clear contaminated land in three of the country's departments. Since April 2016 three teams of deminers have been trained and at least 40% of the deminers will be women.

At the end of January, Arnaud Pont, who oversees Handicap International's projects in Ukraine, attended The Human Face of the Eastern Conflict conference in Brussels , which aims to address the humanitarian needs resulting from the conflict. Arnaud gives an update on this forgotten crisis.

Jean-Baptiste Richardier, co-founder of Handicap International, was present at the 20th International Meeting of Mine Action National Programme Directors and United Nations Advisors, which ended on 10th February 2017. Here, he explains why Handicap International is committed to humanitarian mine action.

In February 2017, Handicap International staff members from Bangladesh, Thailand and Pakistan gathered for a training on early child development, and how to foster the well-being of children in the early years. The training is an important part of the Growing Together project that supports vulnerable children in displacements settings through play.

Aleema Shivji, Executive Director of Handicap International UK, blogs on the recent UK Home Office decision to suspend the entry of disabled child refugees through the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme.

After two years of war, violence is part of daily life in Yemen. Handicap International is therefore providing support to rehabilitation departments in three health centres in Sana’a, where it has already assisted more than 4,500 people since August 2015.
 

Four months after Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti, many people still need humanitarian aid. Handicap International has distributed emergency kits and household items to one thousand homes, benefiting more than 4,700 people affected by the disaster. The organisation has also transported more than 270 tonnes of humanitarian equipment to people living in remote areas.

Floods and poor hygiene in areas hit by Cyclone Idai pose a new threat to affected populations. HI is preparing to distribute hygiene kits to the most vulnerable families in Mozambique.

On 8^th March each year, Handicap International celebrates International Women’s Day. The day is an opportunity for us to recognise the exceptional achievements of ordinary women around the world.

In January 2017, Handicap International launched weapons clearance operations in the governorates of Kirkuk and Diyala in Iraq. In one month, the organisation has already destroyed more than 1,000 explosive remnants of war in sectors seriously affected by fighting. 

Famine was declared in several regions of South Sudan in February 2017: 4.5 million people, half of the country’s population, are surviving on what they can find or facing starvation. Xavier Duvauchelle, head of the Eastern and Southern Africa Desk at Handicap International, explains more.
 

Cyclone Enawo, which made landfall on the north-eastern coast of Madagascar on Tuesday 7th March 2017, could affect 2 million people, according to the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System. Handicap International’s teams already present in the country have been mobilised and are preparing to launch an emergency response based on the needs.
 

Aleema Shivji, Executive Director of Handicap International UK, describes the shocking legacy of explosive weapons contamination facing civilians in Iraq.