News

Handicap International, with the support of the IKEA Foundation, is helping 13,000 children in refugee camps in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Thailand to learn how to develop safely through play. The association trains parents and community volunteers so they can stimulate children from an early age.

In October 2016, the the Iraqi armed forces launched a military offensive to retake Mosul, in Iraq. Since then, over a 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.

Sondos is 8 years old and comes from a besieged area in the suburbs of Damascus. In 2016, she and her family were the victims of bombing. Still traumatised by what she has been though, she now lives as a refugee in Lebanon where she receives psychological support from Handicap International.

Mayada, 48 years old, is from the suburbs of Damascus in Syria. In 2014, her house was bombed. As a result of her injuries, her leg had to be amputated. She has been living as a refugee in Lebanon for two years and has been fitted with a prosthesis by Handicap International which monitors her progress through regular physiotherapy sessions.

Khaled was just one year old when he lost his leg in a bombing raid in Syria. He also tragically lost both of his parents that day. He now lives with his aunt as refugees in Lebanon. Since he arrived in the country, Handicap International has provided the little boy with psychological support sessions.

Hussein is 15 years old. At the end of 2016, he was injured during the bombing of Idlib, in Syria, in which half of his family was killed. He had one leg amputated and took refuge in Lebanon where he received support from Handicap International. “I don't think about the future, I don't have one”…

Handicap International participated in the World Road Safety Week, organized by the United Nations from May 8th to 14th. The association has organized awareness-raising activities for road users, in particular in Cambodia, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Hozeifa was injured in 2016, during the bombing of Idlib in Syria. He is now paraplegic and lives in a tent with the rest of his family in Lebanon, where they have taken refuge. Handicap International is helping him to adapt to his new circumstances by providing psychological support and physiotherapy.

Abdel Azzim, 20 years old, is from Homs (Syria). Seriously injured in a bombing raid in 2014, he has since taken refuge in Lebanon. Handicap International provided him with a wheelchair and rehabilitation care to recover from his trauma.

The food crisis in East Africa is creating unprecedented numbers of refugees. Up to 80% of refugees are women and children who can no longer find enough food to survive. Rose and her children now live in a refugee camp in Kenya, but they still face many difficulties. 
 

Since the start of the war in Syria, more than 5 million people have fled the country to seek refuge in Iraq, Jordan, Turkey or Lebanon. Over the last six years, more than half of the Syrian population has been displaced internally or fled to neighbouring countries. Handicap International has been providing assistance to the Syrian population in the region, for the past five years. 

Samra, 39, is from Syria. She has been a refugee in Jordan since early 2016 and now lives in Azraq camp with her five children. After being given physiotherapy care by Handicap International (HI), she is now receiving psychosocial support from the organisation.

The Honorable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, made the announcement at the tenth session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD (COSP) that’s being held at the United Nations, in New York, today. This statement was prepared in coordination with her colleague, the Honorable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie.

The 16^th of June, celebrated as the international day of the African child, is an opportunity to reflect on the important progress that has been made for children in Africa. It is also a day to recognise the injustices and challenges that many African children still face. 

Shahed, 12, is from Mosul. On 9 March 2017, she and her family were caught in the middle of fierce fighting. Shahed was seriously injured and doctors amputated her leg. She now lives with her father, brothers and sisters in Khazer displaced people’s camp, in Iraq. One of Handicap International’s teams is providing her with physiotherapy care and psychological support.