Handicap International is an independent international aid organisation working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work alongside disabled and vulnerable people in over 60 countries worldwi...
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It is no coincidence that many of the world’s poorest countries are also those worst-affected by landmines. In addition to the terrible suffering they inflict on their victims, mines are a major obstacle to social and economic development.
Prevention work is vital in the current context, in order to save lives and stop the already dramatic loss of human life from escalating in the weeks to come.
This new funding means that we can provide vital emergency support even faster, making a critical difference in terms of saving lives and reducing the suffering of people affected, including people with disabilities.
During crises, NGOs should place a particular emphasis on the most vulnerable sections of the population because they find it extremely difficult to access humanitarian aid.
After the fighting ends, the first thing people want to do is to return home, even though their neighbourhoods have been bombed and mined. As a result, many civilians unwittingly put themselves at risk.
“The Haitian people are just beginning to turn the page after the 2010 earthquake, but there is still a huge amount of work left to do,” stresses Benoît Aurenche, Handicap International’s Project Manager in Haiti. Benoît was in Port-au-Prince when the earthquake hit and has carried out a series of missions in the country over the last two years. “The emergency humanitarian response was essential, a much needed sticking plaster. Today, it is vital that the focus shifts to development actions. The Haitian people are extremely concerned about what is going to happen next.”