Millions of families have been forced to abandon their homes after years of conflict and violence. In places like Yemen, Iraq, and Syria, people struggle to stay alive in their communities, until they have no other choice but to flee.

This month marks two anniversaries that no one is celebrating: Four years of conflict in Yemen and eight in Syria.

The numbers

• An estimated 190,350 Yemenis have fled to neighboring countries
• More than 280,000 people are seeking refuge in Yemen
• An estimated 400,000 Syrians have been killed, according to the United Nations
• As of December 2016, 4.81 million Syrians have fled the country
• 6.3 million Syrians are displaced internally
• More than 10 million Syrians are exposed to the risk posed by explosive remnants of war
• 2.1 million Iraqis displaced inside the country
• More than 360,000 Iraqis displaced, living in unfinished and abandoned buildings

Humanity & Inclusion provides emergency care to people with disabilities and injuries living in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. Every day, our teams meet beneficiaries who share horrifying stories of bombs, torture, terror, and escape. But we take stock of their strength. Their survival. And together we set new goals. We celebrate new victories, however small.

Abdelkrim, 60, from Homs, Syria

"One day, while I was in front of the house, I saw planes in the sky. I thought I saw an unmanned aircraft in the middle of reconnaissance. Then it launched a missile that exploded in the street. Shrapnel came into my left leg." Abdelkrim bandaged his leg and when he finally made it to a doctor, he was told it had to be amputated due to infection. Today, Abdelkrim is recovering thanks to the rehabilitation care he receives from Humanity & Inclusion's team in Jordan. "I wish the war would end and that everyone could return in peace and security."

Warda's family, from Iraq

In February 2017, Warda and her family were caught in an explosion as they were fleeing Mosul, Iraq. After having both of her legs amputated, the young woman recovered in a hospital on the outskirts of the city, with her husband and daughter, who were also injured. Humanity & Inclusion's rehabilitation team provided Warda and her family with psychological support and physical therapy.

Yesser, 12, from Yemen

Yasser was doing homework next to his father when they were both struck by an explosion. Yasser lost his leg and his father did not survive. Today, Yasser receives rehabilitation care from Humanity & Inclusion's team in Yemen.

Wafa, 42, from Homs, Syria

"The planes attacked the city and sent bombs without any mercy to the families and innocent children who still lived there." In July 2012, three bombs fell on Wafa's house. During the attack, Wafa broke her left leg. "When I came out of the coma, my burns and my leg were terribly painful. But this pain was nothing compared to what I felt when I learned that four of my children had died. I could not protect them." Today, Wafa receives rehabilitation care from Humanity & Inclusion's team in Jordan.

Ali, 1, from Iraq

In April 2017, Ali and his family were used as human shields in Mosul, Iraq. Caught in a bombing, Ali was severely injured and his parents and brother were killed. The young boy receives rehabilitation care from Humanity & Inclusion's team in Iraq. Our team also provides his aunt and uncle, who are taking care of him, with advice on how to help Ali with physical therapy exercises. 

Kamal, 15, from Dera'a, Syria

"I woke up with shards of glass all over my body and the bedroom door had collapsed on me. The air was dusty. My brother was trying to take me to my mother's room, but I could not hold onto both of my legs." The family manages, with difficulty, to bring Kamal to the nearest hospital: "My whole body was covered with blood. I was operated on briefly at first, then I had two operations to both my hand and my legs. I've never used weapons, and yet it was me that was bombed. I feel only sadness. When you do not feel safe in your own country, where can you be?" Today, Kamal receives rehabilitation support from Humanity & Inclusion in Jordan.

Ali, 20, from Syria

In 2013, Ali lost the use of his legs after being seriously injured in a bombing in Syria. The young Syrian refugee now lives with his family in a makeshift camp in the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon. Humanity & Inclusion's rehabilitation team has been helping him adapt to his disability through physical therapy. 

One year after Mosul’s liberation, eight million tons[1] of conflict debris, littered with explosive remnants of war, still contaminate the city, and thousands of injured people are trying to access medical treatment. Meanwhile, more than 300,000[2] displaced people are still surviving in camps and communities as Mosul, littered with explosive remnants of war, remains a ticking time bomb. Humanity & Inclusion (the new name of Handicap International), released a fact sheet about the situation in Mosul. Download it here.

Unprecedented contamination

Between October 2016 and July 2017, 1,717 airstrikes and 2,867 explosive hazard incidents hit the city of Mosul, leaving behind an unprecedented amount of explosive remnants of war. Added to this are the thousands of victim-activated improvised explosive devices left as traps by the Islamic State group. In Al-Shifa hospital alone, mine actors found 1,500 explosive remnants of war[3]. Even today, accidents are numerous and whole areas of the city remain inaccessible due to heavy contamination. Since July 10, 2017, Humanity & Inclusion received reports of 127 accidents involving 186 casualties in Nineveh province. This figure is likely higher, as the exact the number of casualties is uncertain.

The consequences for civilians are serious: death, severe injuries, permanent impairments, including a high number of amputations of upper and lower limbs. Between July 10, 2017 and March 15, 2018, Humanity & Inclusion provided rehabilitation services to 1,225 people. Among them, 34% were injured in the conflict[4], and out of these people 86% were injured by explosive weapons.

The massive presence of explosive remnants in the city prevents people from returning to normal life after years of trauma. As of May 15, 2018, 57% of displaced persons from the Nineveh district[5] did not plan to return to their homes. Among them, 22% cite the presence of victim-activated IEDs and explosive remnants as a reason for non-return.

Years to rebuild and clear

Humanity & Inclusion is calling on the international community to face up to its responsibilities. The disproportion of the attacks carried out, and the size of the remaining threat posed by victim-activated IEDs and explosive remnants make Mosul one of the most contaminated cities in the world.

"The urgent need is to clear contaminated areas, raise awareness of the dangers of explosive remnants and to ensure assistance to the casualties, survivors and indirect victims,” says Thomas Hugonnier, who leads Humanity & Inclusion’s mine action operations. "On the ground, we are operational, but the challenge now is for States to support demining operations in the long term. The international community must do everything in its power to remove the obstacles preventing the people of Mosul from returning to a normal life.”

NOTE TO EDITORS

Interviews available with Thomas Hugonnier, head of mine action operations at HI

About Humanity & Inclusion

Humanity & Inclusion (the new name of Handicap International) is an independent charity working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work tirelessly alongside disabled and vulnerable people to help meet their basic needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.

Since its creation in 1982, HI has set up development programs in more than 60 countries and intervenes in numerous emergency situations. The network of 8 national associations (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States) works constantly to mobilize resources, co-manage projects and promote the principles and actions of the organization. Humanity & inclusion is one of the six founding associations of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), co-winner of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize and winner of the 2011 Conrad N. Hilton Prize.

[1] UN Habitat and the United Nations Environment Programme

[2] Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)

[3] United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS)

[4] These injuries include bullet wounds, explosive weapons and other forms of violence (including torture), and injuries caused by events related to the crisis

[5] REACH, CCCM cluster, Iraq: Camps Intentions Survey Round 2 National Level, January 2018

Last June, 11-year-old Omar had his left leg amputated after being injured in a bomb attack in Mosul. Today, he receives rehabilitation care from Handicap International at the Muharibeen Hospital in Iraq. 

Eleven-year-old Fetyan was out buying ice-cream with his cousin when he was caught in the middle of a terrorist attack. “It happened on June 23 at precisely 9:30pm,” Mohammad says of the day his son was injured in Mosul. “First, two suicide bombers blew themselves up in the street. Fetyan, his cousin, and the other customers managed to take shelter in the basement of the ice-cream shop. But then a third suicide bomber appeared and ran toward them. He blew himself up just next to my son.” 

The bombing of civilians in urban areas is commonplace in present-day conflicts. Bombing not only kills and maims civilians, it destroys entire neighborhoods. The bombing of homes has a terrible impact on civilians including forced displacement, extreme hardship for families, and the contamination of affected areas.

“My whole family was sitting on the roof of our building when suddenly the bombs started falling," Raneen explains. "I remember seeing my body riddled with shrapnel and my leg covered in blood. Out of my family, I had the worst injuries.”

“The missiles began to fall in Mosul and I immediately passed out," Salah says of the day his world changed. "I woke up in the hospital. They told me I had shrapnel in my spine and might never walk again. They also told me that my eight-year-old daughter died the same day.” Salah’s eyes starts to tear up.

Now living in Hasansham camp in Iraq, Salah receives rehabilitation care from our team. The temperature at the camp fluctuates between 104 and 122 degrees Fahrenheit, making Salah very tired. “It’s so hot here, we can’t stay cooped up inside," he says while tapping his leg with a small wooden spoon. “Since my accident, this spoon has been my best friend. I never let it out of my sight." Salah uses the spoon to relieve pain that has persisted for months.

Mohammad, a physical therapist with Handicap International has been working with Salah for several weeks. The physical therapy sessions seem to help him mourn the loss of his daughter and adjust to his new situation.

“I met Mohammad just after I arrived in the camp. A neighbor came to see me and told me he knew someone who helps people like me. Mohammad gave me a wheelchair and a walker and now he does muscle-strengthening exercises with me. Since I arrived here, Handicap International has been the only organization to assist me. The sessions are helping me move forward.”

When asked about the future, Salah explains that he doesn't know whether or not he'll return to Mosul. “Everything I had there was destroyed. I’m still very affected by my daughter’s death. All I want now is to live in peace, in a country where I can be treated properly."

Mosul emergency: Fighting between armed groups and government forces in Iraq in recent years has displaced more than three million people. An estimated 11 million civilians already need humanitarian assistance in the country. The Mosul offensive has presented international organizations with an unprecedented challenge. More than 485,000 people have fled the city since last October.

Handicap International and the Iraqi crisis: More than 200,000 people have benefited from Handicap International’s actions since the launch of its emergency operations in Iraq in 2014. Our actions are regularly reviewed to take into account a highly volatile situation across the whole of Iraqi territory. Handicap International currently organizes population protection activities, raises awareness of the risk from mines and conventional weapons, conducts non-technical surveys and clears potentially hazardous areas, provides physical and functional rehabilitation and psychosocial support, supports health centers, organizes training and advocacy, and provides technical support to partners to enhance the inclusion of vulnerable people (people with disabilities, casualties, older people, and others) within their services.

At Hasansham camp in Iraq, eleven-year-old Amira lies perfectly still and silent on a mattress, moving only to brush away the flies that buzz erratically above her head. When Handicap International’s physical therapist, Mohammad, arrives for her rehabilitation session, she keeps her eyes firmly shut and refuses to speak to him. It takes a little while for Mohammad to set her mind at ease and gain her trust.

“I meet a lot of children like Amira,” explains Mohammad. “Some are still deeply traumatized by what they’ve been through over the last few years. Others suffer too, but from their injuries alone. They’re frightened that the physical therapy exercises are going to hurt. The first sessions are the most important part of my work because the children need to see me as their ally, someone who’s going to help them recover with time.”

Amira finally opens her eyes, a shy smile crossing her face. Mohammad manages to convince her to do a few movements to assess the seriousness of her condition. Because her leg still hurts, she finds the exercises difficult. “She should have recovered a long time ago,” explains Mohammad. “It doesn’t take that long for a broken leg to heal. But Amira can’t even walk. What made things much worse was the fact that she wasn’t given proper care for so long.” 

Amira’s father, Hamid supports her as she stands, trying to walk with the crutches given to her by Handicap International. “It’s only the second time in three months she has stood on two legs,” he says. “Amira’s muscles and tendons are still badly affected,” adds Mohammad. “And her foot is now seriously deformed. But we’re going to carry on with the exercises so she can walk. First, with the crutches and then, at some point, without mobility aids.” 

Although Amira was injured in March, she was just given the proper treatment until June, when she reached the camp. “We were at home when we were hit by a missile,” her father says. “One of the walls fell on top of Amira and she was seriously injured. We were taken to Mosul Hospital and stayed there for a few days, but the care was really basic. Then we stayed in the city for three more months. We were under siege and couldn’t escape. We were all living in a small room without food or water, waiting for an opportunity to flee. Imagine living for three months like that.” 

At the end of her physical therapy session, Mohammad adds: “I’m also going to ask my psychologist colleague to meet Amira. It’s essential she overcomes her fears and that her family understands why their support is an important part of her recovery.” As Amira sits back down, she turns to Mohammad and asks: “And you, when are you coming to see me again for another session?”

Mosul emergency: Fighting between armed groups and government forces in Iraq in recent years has displaced more than three million people. An estimated 11 million civilians already need humanitarian assistance in the country. The Mosul offensive has presented international organizations with an unprecedented challenge. More than 485,000 people have fled the city since last October.

Handicap International and the Iraqi crisis: More than 200,000 people have benefited from Handicap International’s actions since the launch of its emergency operations in Iraq in 2014. Our actions are regularly reviewed to take into account a highly volatile situation across the whole of Iraqi territory. Handicap International currently organizes population protection activities, raises awareness of the risk from mines and conventional weapons, conducts non-technical surveys and clears potentially hazardous areas, provides physical and functional rehabilitation and psychosocial support, supports health centers, organizes training and advocacy, and provides technical support to partners to enhance the inclusion of vulnerable people (people with disabilities, casualties, older people, and others) within their services.