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Cyclone Enawo hit Madagascar in March 2017, affecting more than 400,000 people. The storm severely damaged houses and infrastructure in the north-east of the country. Handicap International is now rebuilding 22 damaged schools in the regions of Analanjirofo and Diana to enable 8,500 students to return to their lessons.

As the food crisis worsens across East Africa, individual stories from our programme in South Sudan remind us that caring for vulnerable people during emergencies is a moral obligation.

Nirmala, 9, and Khendo, 10, both had limbs amputated after being injured in the huge earthquake which hit Nepal on 25th April 2015. Humanity & Inclusion's team has provided them with ongoing rehabilitation care and prosthetic legs. With the right support, two years later the girls are both walking and back at school. Their transformation has been amazing.

Handicap International's team took immediate action following the earthquake that struck Nepal on 25th April 2015. Two years on, we review the incredible impact we were able to make, thanks to our donors.

820,000 children in South Sudan, Somalia, Uganda and Ethiopia are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition in 2017. Handicap International’s pioneering treatment methods will help to ensure that they recover and thrive.

Handicap International has been testing whether computer assisted design and 3D printing can improve access to high-quality artificial limbs. As the first clinical trials conclude, we are pleased to announce positive results and the launch of the next phase of this cutting edge research. 

Across East Africa, hundreds of thousands of people are leaving their homes in search of food and security. With such large numbers on the move and in need of assistance, Handicap international is concerned that some people may fall through the cracks. Our teams in Ethiopia, South Sudan and Somaliland are determined not to let this happen.

The region of Grand Kasaï in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been the scene of intense violence in recent months. The resulting humanitarian crisis has affected more than two million people. Handicap International’s teams, present in Kananga since 2015, are working to assist the most vulnerable people.

Mohamad, 9, was badly injured when his house in Syria was bombed. After initially struggling to adapt to his situation, he is now back at school and enjoying his studies.

In December 2016, Zeidan, 5, and his family fled the fighting in Mosul and took refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan. Zeidan, who has cerebral palsy, recently had his first ever physiotherapy session, thanks to Handicap International’s team.

In April 2017, one-year-old Ali and his family were used as human shields in Mosul, Iraq. Caught in a bombing, Ali was severely injured and both his parents and brother were killed. The baby boy is currently being treated at a hospital south of Mosul. His aunt and uncle are taking care of him and Khaled, an HI physiotherapist, is supporting Ali’s recovery.

Aleema Shivji, Executive Director of Handicap International UK, explains how we are keeping up the pressure to ensure people with disabilities are not left behind in humanitarian crises.

On 21^st March 2017, 9-year-old Bakr was injured in an air attack in the west of Mosul. After having both of his legs amputated, he is now recovering in a hospital on the outskirts of the city. Handicap International is providing him with physiotherapy care and psychosocial support.

Ali, 4, lives in Jordan. He has cerebral palsy and, for the last few months, he has been visiting an HI partner centre, where he benefits from physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions. 

In October 2016, the Iraqi armed forces launched a military offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq. Since then, over one million civilians have been displaced.  Two weeks ago, the final assault was launched on Mosul’s Old City, where hundreds of thousands of people were still trapped and where the fighting has considerably intensified. Handicap International describes the situation as extremely alarming.