Emergency aid

Handicap International’s mandate clearly states the obligation to take action to assist persons with disabilities during humanitarian crises following armed conflicts or natural disasters. We understand that persons with disabilities are particularly vulnerable and that humanitarian actors involved in emergency relief work are often not aware of their needs.

For example, in refugee camps the needs of persons with disabilities must be considered in the most practical situations – access to the distribution of food, showers and toilets, etc.

Handicap International is also involved in helping people in the aftermath of natural disasters, such as the earthquakes in China in 2008 and in Haiti in 2010. Physiotherapy and prostheses are required. After the emergency aid phase, thought must also be given to reconstruction. This means, from our perspective, building homes and an environment that are more accessible, enabling persons living with a disability to have an active life and to lift