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Aleema Shivji, Executive Director of Handicap International UK, provides a timely reminder of the appalling impact of explosive weapons.

Hurricane Irma caused extensive damage in the Caribbean and along the US coast, leaving a trail of victims in its wake. Wind and rain has caused extensive damage in the northeast of Haiti but, despite fears of a disaster, the country has escaped the worst of the storm. Nevertheless, Handicap International remains committed to helping the most vulnerable families, who are more likely to be affected during disasters.

Since 2012, civilians have borne the brunt of chronic violence in the Central African Republic. Insecurity and the destruction or neglect of road and air facilities have severely compromised the transport of humanitarian aid.

Some 400,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh from neighbouring Myanmar since the end of August 2017. Handicap International is responding to this emergency by supplying aid to families with acute needs.

Anne Héry, Humanity & Inclusion's Head of Advocacy, sheds light on the organisation’s efforts to end the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and its choice of political process to achieve this aim.

The bombing of populated areas has become a familiar feature of present-day conflicts. Not only does it kill and maim civilians, it also destroys vital public infrastructure such as bridges, ports, and hospitals. Anne Héry, head of advocacy at Humanity & Inclusion, explains how the use of explosive weapons in populated areas impacts civilian life.

Yetnebersh Nigussie has dedicated her life to promoting the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities. She has been awarded the prestigious Right Livelihood Award, widely referred to as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’, for her determination to ensure that people with disabilities are never left behind. 

Handicap International is increasingly concerned for the welfare of tens of thousands of displaced people in the southern Philippines. Since armed conflict broke out in Marawi city, Mindanao, on 23^rd May 2017, at least 360,000 people have been forced to leave their homes. Many are now living in precarious conditions.

4^th October, 2017, marks one year since Hurricane Matthew ravaged southern Haiti. 140mph winds and severe flooding caused 603 deaths and the widespread loss of homes, livestock and infrastructure. Handicap International is helping Haitians to cope with the 2017 hurricane season.

"Everywhere the bombing followed us", a new report by Handicap International, shows the harm caused by the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, in terms of  the loss of livelihood, the disruption of civilian infrastructure, and the long-term impact on mental health.

Aleema Shivji, Executive Director of Handicap International UK, blogs about a new report showing the hidden impact of explosive weapons on civilian life.

Handicap International and the French Development Agency (AFD) is holding a two-day workshop on mental health for funding bodies, mental health professionals and service users at AFD’s head office in Paris from 11th to 12th October. Some 50 people are expected to attend. Aude Bausson, coordinator of HI's mental health programme in West Africa, explains what the workshop hopes to achieve. 

Handicap International’s logistics platform coordinator, Emmanuel Pajot, will arrive in Bangladesh this week to tackle the transport problems currently hampering the distribution of humanitarian assistance in the district of Cox’s Bazaar, on the border with Myanmar. He hopes to provide humanitarian organisations with logistical solutions to improve the support to 500,000 refugees present in the region.

One year ago, on October 17^th 2016, armed forces launched a military offensive to retake the city of Mosul, in Iraq. More than one million civilians were displaced by the fighting, which lasted nine months, and over 18,000 people were injured. Below is an update on one of the region’s biggest humanitarian crises. 

More than 500,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since the end of August from neighbouring Myanmar. Handicap International is stepping up its humanitarian aid effort in response to this crisis, which is unprecedented in the region. Since 25th August, the organisation has already supplied humanitarian assistance to 15,000 people.