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Handicap International is expanding its mine clearance activities in Laos to a fourth district.

Forty years after the end of the Vietnam war, cluster munitions and explosive remnants of war in Laos still claim an average of one victim per week. Handicap International has worked in the country since 1983 and is currently clearing mines in three districts, Nong, Sepone and Vilabuly, in the Savannakhet province in the east of Laos. In 2015 Phine will become the fourth district to benefit from demining.

 

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 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.

Ali is 65 years old. He is currently living in the governorate of Dohuk with 24 other members of his family. Three years ago he had a stroke which left him with severely reduced mobility in his left leg. He therefore finds it difficult to get about and to perform certain day-to-day tasks. With support from Handicap International, Ali has seen his mobility improve.

Stéphanie Charlotin is following the Rehabilitation Technician course offered by Handicap International in Haiti. It is the first of its kind in this country where the needs in this field are immense.

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.

London, 15th January 2015. Handicap International today publishes a report “Bombs under the rubble”, evaluating the Gazan population’s awareness of the presence of explosive remnants of war (ERW). Following the Israeli offensive between 7th July and 26th August 2014, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) estimates that there are at least 7,000 unexploded devices and munitions, mainly mixed in with the rubble. Almost half of the people interviewed as part of the Handicap International study reported feelings of fear on a daily basis due to the presence of these bombs. 45% of people surveyed had benefited from awareness-raising actions, but children, particularly young boys, were identified as a ma­jor high-risk group that should be a priority for risk education to prevent accidents.

When the earthquake struck Haiti on 12th January 2010, 12-year-old Christella was at school. The building collapsed on her and she spent the night and much of the next morning trapped under the rubble with the bodies of those who did not survive. After she was rescued Christella’s leg needed to be amputated at the upper thigh.

Roldan 's home was swept away by the storm-surge during Typhoon Haiyan. His family fled to the hills and now live in a new home. The house, which is only accessible by boat, was built with equipment and financial assistance provided by Handicap International.

New research published today shows that older, disabled and injured Syrian refugees are paying a double toll as a result of the conflict. The report, released by Handicap International and HelpAge International, provides new data showing how much these vulnerable refugees are struggling to meet their specific needs.

Five-year-old Malak is a curious and independent child who likes nothing more than walking round the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan with her father Houdey. But in December 2015 she was at home in Syria with her brother and sisters when the room they were in took a direct hit during an air strike.

In Nicaragua, Humanity & Inclusion supported projects led by Visíon Inclusiva, which aimed to improve the lives of people with diabetes in Masaya and Estelí. Humanity & Inclusion has ended its actions in the country.