Humanity & Inclusion and partners work alongside women and girls to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in the Central African Republic.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is still one of the major protection issues in the Central African Republic. Despite the efforts made in recent years by the government and its technical and financial partners, as well as by humanitarian organizations, the challenges remain enormous. In 2021, 11,592 cases of GBV were reported, an increase of 26% compared to those reported in 2020 (9,216 cases).

With the help of the European Union and in consortium with multiple humanitarian partners, HI is working to improve the protection and reintegration of women, girls and people with specific needs who are vulnerable to GBV in the Central African Republic. 

The project, "Women and girls create the future: prevention and response to gender-based violence in the Central African Republic," aims to improve access to quality care and socio-economic reintegration in an environment where GBV is not tolerated and survivors are not stigmatized. It will also work to strengthen governance in the fight against GBV.

This project is implemented by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in consortium with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Humanity & Inclusion (HI), International Medical Corps (IMC) and more than a dozen national non-governmental organizations.

A strategy to fight back

The project implementation strategy is based on four axes:

1. The empowerment of local actors. The project will use organizational and technical capacity building to transfer skills to organizations. After implementing activities alongside them, HI will support them in implementing programs independently so that they can serve as an entry point for providing quality care to survivors.
2. Prioritizing the socio-economic empowerment of women and girls who are vulnerable to GBV. Allow for the creation of credit and self-financing opportunities for at-risk groups, with a focus on village savings and loan associations. This will be done in accordance with the national strategy to fight GBV, with an emphasis on the community-level groups.
3. Use structured community engagement. The project will use an activist approach known as “SASA”—start, awareness, support, action—to positively influence community power dynamics and mobilize members around gender-based violence prevention.
4. Consideration of inclusion of disability, age, and diversity. Inclusion is a cross-cutting priority of the consortium and inclusion activities will be mainstreamed in all activities with the support of HI and its national partners.

Key figures

In total, 130,494 women and girls who are survivors of GBV or who are vulnerable to GBV will benefit from quality, multi-sectoral and integrated case management services. Additionally:

• 63 support groups will be set up
• 50,694 people will be trained to contribute to the creation of a more protective environment
• 1,035 care providers and social workers will be trained as part of the skills transfer foreseen by the project
• 8,600 people will benefit from rapid economic support to meet immediate basic needs
• 4,042 people will benefit from training to support basic literacy
• 3,710 people will benefit from income-generating activities

In the Central African Republic, persistent armed conflict and annual flooding have caused mass internal displacement and food insecurity. As humanitarian access remains limited, Humanity & Inclusion is delivering goods to isolated areas by boat.

An estimated 1.4 million people—representing almost one-third of the country’s entire population—have been displaced by ongoing conflict. Over 2 million people are facing severe food insecurity due to a lack of safety, which is only expected to worsen in the lean season when less food is produced. Under constant threat of danger, civilians are forced to go without basic needs such as food, medicine and hygiene items to avoid risking their lives.

‘Access is one of our greatest concerns’

“A massive humanitarian crisis is growing and we have to prepare for it,” says Yamina Issad, Humanity & Inclusion’s operations officer for the Central African Republic. “As soon as conflict arises, all humanitarian access is completely blocked. There is only one route that connects Bambari to Bangasou, and it is now inaccessible. This isolates the population in those areas and worsens the hardships people are already experiencing. Right now, access is one of our greatest concerns.”

To overcome inaccessibility by road, Humanity & Inclusion has begun shipping goods such as fuel, building materials, oil and essential non-food items by boat along high-water rivers during the rainy season.  

“Access to communities along the river is particularly difficult by road,” explains Damien Volland, Humanity & Inclusion’s head of logistics and transport. “There is a lack of security and damaged infrastructure, which is accentuated during the rainy season. But, when the water is high, boats are easier to navigate. Transport by boat on the Oubangui River allows us to bypass these obstacles and reach more populations in need of humanitarian assistance.”

Delivering tons of aid

For years, local organizations have used boats to transport goods during rainy season, but the method is rarely used among international NGOs. Humanity & Inclusion’s logistics team is able to deliver between 50 and 60 tons of humanitarian goods per boat for partner organizations such as Solidarités International, ACTED and Action Against Hunger to reach people in some of the most isolated parts of the country.

These activities are funded in part by USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance and are carried out in partnership with Premiere Urgence Internationale.

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Food security at risk

Today, more than one out of two Central Africans is food insecure according to the World Food Programme (July 2021). In addition, more than one in four people are either refugees or internally displaced, the number of displaced people in CAR has reached 1,417,542 (UNHCR, 30/06/2021), the highest number since 2014. In addition to the displacements caused by insecurity, flood victims represent 30% of the displacements between May and June 2021.

"These recurrent displacements and insecurity are seriously impacting agricultural production, which is already weakened by climate disruption, crop diseases and difficulties in accessing inputs and farming tools. This not only destabilizes the country's food security but also impacts the livelihoods of rural households that depend heavily on subsistence farming for their survival" said Mathilde Lambert, Country Director of Action Against Hunger-CAR.

Alarming health challenges

Repeated attacks on patients, staff, medical assets and infrastructure, as well as insecurity, have disrupted access to health care. The situation is worrying because CAR's health indicators continue to be particularly alarming. The country has the worst infant mortality rate in the world (WB, 2019) and one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the world (WB, 2017).

"The impact of the conflict and humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic on the mental health of affected populations is often underestimated. On the ground, we observe symptoms of depression, anxiety or psychosis," says Dr. Christian Mulamba, Country Director at International Medical Corps. Plagued by a measles epidemic since 2020, the country has also experienced major malaria epidemics, which remains the leading cause of morbidity. As a result, CAR population has a life expectancy of 53 years, one of the lowest in the world.

Education in crisis

After a year 2020 disrupted by the COVID-19 preventive health restrictions, the conflict has disrupted the functioning of an already precarious education system: student absenteeism, school closures due to insecurity, occupation of schools by displaced populations or by armed actors. This situation permanently compromises the future of Central African youth and particularly that of internally displaced children and that of girls living in the conflict areas.

Sexual violence on the rise

While men account for the majority of the conflict's dead and wounded, women, girls, boys, and people living with disabilities are greatly affected by difficulties in accessing basic social services (education, sexual and reproductive health care, nutrition, etc.) and by protection problems. Reported sexual violence is on the rise in the country and disproportionately affects women and girls.

To date, the humanitarian response plan in CAR is only half funded. International NGOs are calling for the mobilization of Central African authorities and donors to ensure the humanitarian response and the protection of civilians.

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Since the week of December 14, 2020, armed clashes have broken out in the Central African Republic and continue to this day. Civilians, humanitarian workers, and medical staff have not been spared from the wave of violence that has since taken place in the country. The number of incidents affecting humanitarians between January and June 2021 has increased by 39% compared to the same period last year. Despite the insecurity, humanitarians provided assistance to 25% of the population during the first quarter of 2021.

Humanity & Inclusion in Central African Republic

Humanity & Inclusion has worked in the Central African Republic since 1994, and since 2016, the organization has worked to ensure that the most vulnerable people receive the life-saving, life-enabling aid they need after three years of acute crisis.

Since gaining its independence in 1958, the country has experienced chronic instability as a result of regular military coups and the repeated failure to transition to a democratic system.

Areas of Intervention

• Emergency
• Prevention
• Rehabilitation
• Logistics services

Since the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic in Central African Republic, Humanity & Inclusion's 146-person team has developed inclusive awareness projects on personal protection measures. Through its logistics platform projects, Humanity & Inclusion supports and facilitates the delivery of aid by humanitarian organizations throughout the country.

About Humanity & Inclusion 

Humanity & Inclusion is an independent international aid organization. It has been working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster for close to 40 years. Working alongside people with disabilities and people living in situations of extreme vulnerability, our action and testimony focus on responding to their essential needs, improving their living conditions, and promoting respect for their dignity and basic rights. Since its 1982 founding, Humanity & Inclusion has set up development programs in more than 60 countries and intervenes in numerous emergency situations.  The network of eight national associations (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States) works constantly to mobilize resources, jointly manage projects and to increase the impact of the organization’s principles and actions. Humanity & Inclusion is one of six founding organizations of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), the co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997. The organization has numerous prizes to its name, including the 2011 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, the 1996 Nansen Prize, and two 2020 Horizon Prizes for innovation. Humanity & Inclusion acts and campaigns in places where “living in dignity” is no easy task. 

After Riad, 20, lost his leg in a shooting, he feared that he could not care for his family. Today, with the help of Humanity & Inclusion’s psychosocial support, physical therapy and a new prosthetic leg, he can’t wait to show his family what he can do.

On February 15, Riad and his family heard gunfire outside of their house in the Central African Republic. The shooting continued for hours, so they fled in search of safety. Like many others, they sought refuge in a mosque in Bambari. But their safety was short-lived, as gunmen soon entered and opened fire on the families inside, taking several innocent lives. Riad was shot twice, once in his left ankle and once in his right leg. He lay wounded on the ground until the next day, too afraid to seek help until then. By the time he was taken to the hospital, his injury had become so severe that his right leg was amputated 21 days later.

The operation was a success, but Riad worried about the future. He lives with his mother, his siblings and their children in Bambari. His greatest fear after losing his leg was that he would not be able to take care of his family. After the amputation, Humanity & Inclusion psychosocial specialists helped him overcome his fears, cope with the pain, and start adjusting to life with a disability.

Always accompanied by his older brother, Riad has been attending physical therapy with Humanity & Inclusion specialists twice a week in Bambari. Ready for an artificial leg, Humanity & Inclusion recently paid for the brothers to visit the Central African Republic’s only fitting center in Bangui.

“I can’t wait to receive my prosthesis,” Riad said during his fittings. “I hope to be able to walk again and take care of my mother. I’ll be able to go get food and spend my day working outside of the house. I think I’ll feel brave again.”

After a week of casts and learning to walk again, Riad received his new prosthetic leg.

“I used to look at my leg and cry, but now I feel stronger,” he says. “I feel that I will have less to worry about from now on and I’m so grateful for the support I’ve received from HI, from my amputation until now. I can stand up and walk again. I can’t wait to show my family!”

Header image: Riad practices walking with his new artificial leg at a fitting center in Bangui. Inline image: Riad and his brother at a rehabilitation center in Bambari. Copyright: A. Servant/HI

An evangelist by trade, Zoumatchi was unable to work after a gunshot wound caused him to lose his left leg.

Zoumatchi is a 48-year-old father of four children. He was shot while working in Bangui during the 2014 crisis in the Central African Republic. After his leg was amputated at a community hospital, he returned home to his family in Bambari.

“I was in a very difficult position,” Zoumatchi says. “I was in a lot of pain, and I had difficulty getting around. For years I felt that I was useless.”

In September 2020, he started treatment with Humanity & Inclusion teams in Bambari. By November, he was ready to receive an artificial leg.

Zoumatchi went to Bangui to be fitted at the rehabilitation center (ANRAC), a project supported by Humanity & Inclusion. In December, he began rehabilitation with Humanity & Inclusion physical therapy assistants William and Peggy. As the sessions progressed, Zoumatchi regained his walking ability and experienced less pain. With his crutches, he is finally able to walk in neighborhoods all over Bambari.

“Over the past few days, I’m proud to say that I can even walk short distances without my crutches,” Zoumatchi says. “I’m so happy. Now that I can walk again, I can continue my work spreading messages of peace and love.”

A violent incident cost Hervé his right leg, but with support from Humanity & Inclusion, the 26-year-old proudly stands on two feet again.

One day in late June marked the start of a new beginning for Hervé, who took his first steps with his freshly fitted prosthetic leg. In the months since his right foot was seriously injured in an armed attack in Bambari in February, Hervé’s life—and outlook—have changed dramatically.  

After the incident, Hervé was taken to the hospital where doctors said they needed to amputate the lower part of his leg. At first, Hervé refused.

“I was so afraid of losing my leg and of the consequences it would have on my life,” Hervé explains. “I thought I would become a burden to my family and I didn’t want that.”

With Hervé refusing surgery, the hospital was prepared to discharge him despite the life-threatening risks of his injury. But his leg had become infected and the need to amputate was increasingly urgent. It was then that Humanity & Inclusion’s team learned of Hervé’s case and intervened.

Over the course of a week, Humanity & Inclusion’s mental health specialists counseled Hervé and helped him to overcome his fears, while educating him on the severity of his situation. With his newfound understanding and psychosocial support, he made the life-saving decision to undergo the operation.

After his amputation, Humanity & Inclusion’s team provided Hervé with a wound dressing kit and he regularly received care from physical therapists and mental health specialists to aid in a smooth recovery. His transportation costs to and from therapy were also covered by Humanity & Inclusion to ensure access to the care he needed.

When the time finally came for Hervé to take the next step in his recovery, Humanity & Inclusion took him to Bangui to be fitted for an artificial limb at ANRAC, the only fitting center in the Central African Republic. One week in June, Hervé spent every morning testing models and having molds made at the center, all leading up to the moment where he can finally begin to walk with his new prosthetic.

“I’m so happy,” Hervé says. “It has been so difficult to get around without a prosthetic. I hope, for myself and my family, that I will be able to walk normally again soon so that I can go back to living the way I used to. I see that little by little, I’m becoming mobile again and for that I thank HI.”

After his injury, Hervé’s job opportunities were limited. For now, he's shining shoes along the main road in the city for very little income. But with his newfound mobility, Hervé is eager to start a new job as a mobile pharmaceutical vendor, walking tall around the neighborhoods of Bambari.

Humanity & Inclusion staff member Jimmy Müller Baguimala Kobé offers a glimpse into life on the logistics team during conflict in the Central African Republic.

Jimmy Müller Baguimala Kobé is not your average delivery guy. He delivers life-saving goods in a life-threatening environment. While it may be said that “neither snow, nor rain, nor heat” can stop the postal service, for Jimmy and his colleagues “neither heat, nor armed conflict, nor land mines” can stop their vital work.

Jimmy is a logistics officer for Humanity & Inclusion in the Central African Republic (CAR), based in Bangui, where millions of people and numerous NGOs depend on him and his team to deliver essential supplies amid tense and dangerous internal conflict.

 “We transport goods for humanitarian aid throughout the country. This includes medicine, kits of essential items, and coal to fuel generators in hospitals without electricity. It is extremely important to have this delivery system in place because the people need supplies, and so many organizations and NGOs providing aid here are not able to transport these items on their own. They come to us, and we make sure it gets to the [communities] for them. I love the work I do because it does such a huge service to the population.” —Jimmy Müller Baguimala Kobé, Logistics Officer for Humanity & Inclusion

Already considered one of the poorest countries in the world, a recent blockade at the border has forced the CAR to depend on surrounding countries for goods, causing prices to skyrocket. More than 2 million people are experiencing dangerous levels of food insecurity and rely heavily on humanitarian aid to meet their needs.

“Safety is a major concern,” Jimmy explains. “Some of the internal roads are finally starting to open back up, but they are dangerous, which can block trucks and slow down road deliveries. There have been several serious incidents recently where vehicles were set on fire. Mines are also a problem, causing both injuries and deaths.”

Transportation in this context is already difficult due to fragmented infrastructure and security threats, but movement is even more constrained by Covid-19 restrictions. This further isolates the people disproportionately affected by crisis such as children, aging people, women and people with disabilities.  

“The population is experiencing a terrible crisis and urgently needs humanitarian intervention, and the work we’re doing makes that possible,” Jimmy says. “We are asking our supporters to continue helping us bring this aid to every part of the country. These goods are essential in order for help to continue, and for the benefit of the people.”

While Jimmy recognizes the immense value in his work, he ultimately hopes for an end to the conflict and a return to a time where these efforts are no longer necessary.

“I wish with all my heart that things would go back to normal. I don’t want to relive the situation we’ve been in,” he says. “For now, people are depending on us.”

Header image: The Humanity & Inclusion logistics team delivers a truckload of supplies in the Central African Republic in November 2020. Copyright: Adrienne Surprenant/HI; Inline image: Portrait of Jimmy Müller Baguimala Kobé. Copyright: HI

On her path to recovery after stepping on an explosive device, Alima, 16, participates in rehabilitation sessions with Humanity & Inclusion specialists.

After finishing up a trip to the market in Bambari one Sunday in May, Alima was ready to embark on the six-mile walk home. With each step, she was careful to avoid the dangers she had heard about: active explosive devices hiding silently in the rocks and dirt beneath her feet, left behind from intense conflict in the Central African Republic.

Knowing the risks, Alima’s brother had taught her a safe route to the market through the grass. Following his instructions, she arrived safely to the market. But on her way home, Alima forgot the way and veered off the path. She stepped on an explosive weapon.

The blast severely damaged both of Alima’s legs, making it difficult to get out of her bed or perform routine activities. Today, Alima is in the Bambari hospital, where she is visited daily by Humanity & Inclusion’s physical therapists.

“Since I spend most of my time lying down or sitting after the accident, the HI physical therapists come every day to do exercises on my legs and feet,” Alima explains. “They keep my muscles working, so that when my wounds heal I can recover more quickly and be independent again.” 

With the help of these regular rehabilitation visits and proper medical treatment, Alima will soon leave the hospital and return to living her life at home. Humanity & inclusion teams will continue to work with Alima through the healing process and beyond.

Image: Alima sits on her bed at the Bambari hospital. Copyright: A. Servant/HI, 2021

Amid rising tensions, Humanity & Inclusion is implementing health, logistics and inclusion projects in the Central African Republic. Based in Bangui, Bambari and Bangassou, its teams are ready to help people caught up in the worsening conflict.

"The Central African Republic has entered a new cycle of violence," explains Coralie Frémion, Humanity & Inclusion’s Program Director in the Central African Republic. "Since mid-December, there has been a resurgence in fighting between government forces and their allies on the one hand, and the Coalition of Patriots for Change on the other."

Population severely affected by conflict

The Central African Republic depends on imports for certain food, fuel and industrial products. 

"For the last two months, traffic along the country's main road from Bangui to Douala in Cameroon, through which most imported goods usually transit, has been disrupted by insecurity and armed violence,” Frémion says. "This has impacted everyone in the Central African Republic because it has caused a spike in inflation."

The price of rice in Bangui, for example, increased 43% in January 2021. 

Since December, the crisis has resulted in more than 120,000 new internally displaced people in addition to 600,000 people who were already displaced. A quarter of the country’s population–1.3 million people–are internally displaced or living in neighboring countries

"This raises serious concerns about the protection of civilians and humanitarian actors," Frémion explains. "Yet despite this context and the insecurity, Humanity & Inclusion and many NGOs continue to provide assistance."

Work continues despite challenges

In partnership with Première Urgence Internationale, and with funding from USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, Humanity & Inclusion is working to distribute supplies in the Central African Republic. Humanity & Inclusion's six-person logistics team is on stand-by to deliver essential aid on behalf of all humanitarian organizations working in the country, transporting supplies including medicine, vaccines, Covid-19 kits, and kits of essential items such as blankets, plastic sheets, soap, school supplies and construction materials.

Humanity & Inclusion’s transport of humanitarian cargo by air is likely to play an increasingly important role in keeping supplies available. Air freight is sometimes the only way to reach the most vulnerable people easily and quickly, and Humanity & Inclusion’s program covers 24 destinations. 

In addition, Humanity & Inclusion physical rehabilitation project has provided care to several injured people in Bambari, a town in the center of the country, where armed clashes have taken place. In January, 70% of Humanity & Inclusion’s patients were wounded in the conflict. All had bullet wounds. 

Humanity & Inclusion’s nine-person team provides physical therapy, psychosocial support, mobility aids, prosthetics and orthotics to people with disabilities and injuries in the region.

Image: Workers wearing vests and face masks load a truck of supplies in the Central African Republic in November 2020. Copyright: Adrienne Surprenant/HI

Introduction

When Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic in March 2020, Humanity & Inclusion mobilized its teams to help the most vulnerable people affected by the crisis. Providing emergency response in almost all the countries where Humanity & Inclusion works has been a major challenge, especially since its emergency teams are normally able to focus their efforts on a handful of countries or regions. Humanity & Inclusion therefore provided emergency response and adapted its routine projects to help all those in need.

As of December 2020, more than 65 million people worldwide have been infected with Covid-19 and more than 1.5 million people have died.

While the epidemic has hit Western countries extremely hard, it is also affecting many countries in Asia, the Middle East, South and Central America and Africa, which are already affected by violent conflicts, political and socio-economic crises, frequent natural disasters, and significant climate change. Thousands of people need assistance.

In response to the Covid-19 crisis, Humanity & Inclusion has:

• Provided response in 46 of the 50 countries where it works;
• Implemented more than 160 projects in aid of people affected by the Covid-19 crisis;
• Given assistance to more than 2 million people between March and August 2020 alone;
• Provided more than 1.6 million people with information on Covid-19 prevention measures;
• Distributed more than 138,000 hygiene kits containing hand sanitizer, soaps, and other items;
• Distributed more than 800,000 masks;
• Provided food to more than 6,800 vulnerable families;
• Organized thousands of psychosocial support sessions for people who feel insecure or traumatized as a result of the crisis;
• Conducted thousands of tele-rehabilitation sessions in countries where a strict lockdown has been imposed to continue providing its routine services to people in need.

Beyond its impact on health, Covid-19 has had a considerable effect on children’s education. According to a Unesco report, some 1.6 billion children and teenagers have been deprived of school education in 190 countries as a result of the pandemic. The situation is even more worrying for children with disabilities, who find it harder to access education.

This pandemic has also considerably increased poverty and food insecurity. People in 25 countries are expected to face devastating levels of hunger in the coming months due to the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of acute food insecure people could increase from 149 million before the pandemic to 270 million.

Identifying the needs of the most vulnerable people

Humanity & Inclusion's teams and volunteers trained by the organization have identified the needs of the most vulnerable people including older people, single women with children, people with disabilities, migrant populations, and refugees. Those with the greatest needs are receiving direct assistance such as awareness sessions, distribution of hygiene kits, food assistance, cash transfers, and psychosocial support, or referrals to an organization that can offer them appropriate care, including healthcare for those infected with Covid-19.

Leading awareness-raising sessions

More than 1.6 million people affected by the pandemic have taken part in awareness sessions in villages and communities in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America and the Caribbean, and at home. Humanity & Inclusion has provided people with information on Covid-19, including the risk of transmission and prevention measures, through group meetings in villages, refugee camps, and the like; one-on-one sessions; and awareness campaigns based on leaflets, posters, and other materials. The organization has also aired programs on radio and TV. For example, in Nepal, Humanity & Inclusion has produced videos with subtitles and in sign language adapted to people with hearing difficulties, in partnership with the World Health Organization, which have been aired on Nepalese television.

Offering psychosocial support

Humanity & Inclusion has provided psychosocial support to people affected by the pandemic and the trauma it has caused, from economic hardships to loss of family and friends. More than 225,000 people received psychosocial support, including by telephone, from Humanity & Inclusion. The organization has also provided support to medical staff who are on the front line.

Distributing hygiene items, food, and cash

Humanity & Inclusion has distributed more than 138,000 hygiene kits composed of hand sanitizer, soaps, cleaning supplies, and the like. More than 800,000 masks have also been provided to people who need them.

In many countries, the food supply chain has been disrupted by border closures and lockdown measures. In Bolivia, especially, it is more complicated to access food in cities. Price inflation has soared and many people, who have lost their jobs, have found it more difficult to access food. Humanity & Inclusion has provided food assistance to more than 6,800 families by distributing goods, cash transfers, non-perishable foods, fresh produce from partner organizations, and so on.

Humanity & Inclusion has also identified people living in situations of extreme vulnerability, including refugees and families living in extreme poverty, and provided them with cash transfers to access basic services and meet their basic needs such as paying rent, buying food, and going to the doctor. So far, 7,565 families have received cash transfers from Humanity & Inclusion.

Transporting humanitarian supplies

The measures put in place to combat the spread of Covid-19 have entrenched humanitarian crises and made it harder to implement humanitarian aid projects. Faced with the difficulties of transporting humanitarian supplies and mobility issues caused by lockdowns, quarantines and other restrictions, Humanity & Inclusion, through its logistics department, has shifted the focus of its operations in Central African Republic, Bangladesh and Mali. News projects were also implemented in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti for the transport and shared storage of health and humanitarian equipment, the repair of airport runways and roads to isolated health centers, and the like.

Humanity & Inclusion has also mobilized three experts from the Réseau Logistique Humanitaire (RLH) to coordinate airlifts to 12 countries. More than 141,000 cubic feet of emergency supplies and 1,200 humanitarian and medical staff were transported as part of this operation.

Conducting tele-rehabilitation sessions

Humanity & Inclusion continued providing rehabilitation care to patients who need it by adapting its working methods to the Covid-19 pandemic. Where the situation allowed, physical therapists continued to provide care in rehabilitation centers in compliance with safety rules such as social distancing and mask-wearing.

In countries where lockdowns were imposed, online tele-rehabilitation sessions have enabled thousands of patients to continue doing their physical therapy exercises at home by watching videos or receiving instructions via telephone, WhatsApp, and other technology. Humanity & Inclusion has organized thousands of tele-rehabilitation sessions in Nepal, for example, and developed virtual rehabilitation apps in Rwanda and Vietnam.

Promoting safety and inclusion

Humanity & Inclusion referred more than 470 people with the greatest protection needs, such as single women, isolated children, and refugees to specialized organizations able to offer them appropriate support.

Lastly, Humanity & Inclusion’s teams trained 201 staff from partner humanitarian organizations to include the most vulnerable people such as people with disabilities, isolated women, and older people in activities organized for victims of the Covid-19 crisis. The aim is to ensure that no one is left behind.

Help Humanity & Inclusion continue its global response to Covid-19: