For victims mutilated by landmine or cluster bomb explosions, the road to recovery is long and finding their place in the community again difficult: healthcare, artificial limb fitting, rehabilitation, psychological support as well as assistance with social and economic inclusion and support from local organisations all ensure that the rights of disabled people are recognised and protected.
In heavily-mined countries, Handicap International is working to develop the delivery of care in terms of rehabilitation and support in the social inclusion of individuals. This work focuses on:
- Training local technicians and physiotherapists to undertake the physical rehabilitation and fitting of artificial limbs and orthoses.
- Providing psychological and social support to survivors.
© J-F Trani / Handicap International |
Handicap International also carries out actions aimed at adapting the physical and social environment to make it more accessible.
We also promote the rights of victims at an international level. We believe that resources for victim assistance should be integrated into all public health programmes (vaccinations, hygiene, fighting against parasitical diseases, AIDS) and into social development actions (combating poverty and exclusion and supporting local social and economic development). Resources should contribute to the reconstruction and reorganisation of public health systems too often disrupted by years of conflict.
At the same time, we are active within various international working groups dealing with future strategies and activities for action against landmines and cluster munitions. In particular, we belong to the group coordinating national surveys on the impact of landmines, and to the group piloting and coordinating action against landmines with the United Nations.
