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Fanta, 8, lives with her parents and her little brother in Kono district, Sierra Leone. Last year, she went to school for the very first time. But the Ebola virus closed schools across the country, including hers.

In 2013, Nak, 15, stepped on a mine while he was working as a wood-cutter in the forest. For a teenage boy whose survival depends on his physical skills, the subsequent loss of his leg was a very real tragedy. The prostheses provided by Handicap International and his enrolment on an occupational training course have renewed his faith in the future.

1st August 2015 is the 5th anniversary of the entry into force of the Oslo Convention banning the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions. Despite the clear success of the convention, which has been signed by 117 countries to date, cluster munitions were still being used in conflicts in 2015.

When Typhoon Haiyan tore across the Philippines in November 2013, Erlinda was left without a means to earn her livelihood. As part of Handicap International’s livelihood project, she was given a sow in October 2014 and trained to manage this value resource. Since then, Erlinda has made a lot of progress and now has a brand new pigsty and 14 piglets.

More than 8,800 people were killed and over 22,000 were injured in the earthquake, which struck Nepal in April 2015. Nearly one million homes were also destroyed or damaged.

Irma was 11 when her life changed forever. She was out gathering wood to make brooms which her family sold to make a living. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion.

Halima, 9, lives with cerebral palsy. She finds everyday things - gripping a pen, keeping her back straight, coordinating her movements - a challenge. Thanks to Handicap International, this young Somalian girl has a wheelchair and now benefits from rehabilitation sessions. Halima is keeping up her efforts and becoming more self-reliant.

Meet 6-year-old Khendo and Nirmala, 7, from Nepal. They first met at Bir Hospital in Kathmandu after they both tragically lost a leg in the earthquake that struck the country in April 2015. For the last three months they have laughed together, gone through their rehabilitation together and awaited their new artificial limb legs together. In that time they have formed a very special bond.

In Sierra Leone, Handicap International plays an active role in campaigns to inform people of the ways in which the virus is transmitted and what they can do to limit the risk of contamination. To ensure everyone is well informed, Handicap International has organized the translation of the campaign’s messages into Braille and sign language and has produced an information book for children.

One year ago, the conflict that gripped Gaza during the summer of 2014 was just beginning. Odai Ali, 21, was at home helping on the family cattle farm, as he used to do most days.

The lives of civilians in Gaza are still endangered by explosive remnants of war , one year after the outbreak of fighting between Israel and Palestinian on 7 July 2014. At least 4,500 explosive devices  are still buried under the rubble of houses and infrastructure destroyed during the 50-day conflict. Handicap International immediately supplied aid to the most vulnerable individuals and, since March, it has organized risk education sessions on explosive remnants of war to prevent more people falling victims to these weapons.

Following the 2014 conflict in Gaza, thousands of unexploded bombs and other ordnance (UXO) lay hidden under rubble and inside damaged buildings. Despite clearance efforts, Gaza is still contaminated by 4,500 items which pose a serious threat to civilians, many of whom do not realize that the bombs can still explode. To prevent injuries and deaths, Handicap International teams travel throughout Gaza educating residents - like Hamza - about what to do when they find potentially dangerous objects.

The lives of civilians in the Gaza Strip are still at risk from explosive remnants of war, one year after the start of the conflict between Israel and Palestinian armed groups. Active in Gaza since 1996, Handicap International has been conducting risk education activities to help prevent accidents in the future. Guillaume Zerr, the head of Handicap International’s mission in the Palestinian Territories, explains more.

Without immediate and thorough rehabilitation, people with serious injuries can develop complications that can make it difficult or impossible for them to regain their mobility. Nowhere is this clearer than with the Nepal earthquake survivors who had legs amputated.

Sunil Pokhrel, Senior Physical Therapist at Handicap International Nepal, discusses how our teams are helping earthquake survivors with amputations to walk again.