Handicap International has sent a team to respond to the emergency situation that resulted from a series of explosions at munitions depots in the Republic of Congo's capital, Brazzaville, on Sunday, March 4, 2012. (Republic of Congo is located on the western side of the Congo River, across from the Democratic Republic of Congo.)

A decontamination expert will be responsible for securing the danger zone and raising awareness among the civilian population and teams working in the area of the dangers of unexploded ordnance.

The Congolese capital is particularly polluted by munitions and grenades, which were projected by the explosions across a range of several square miles in a densely-populated civilian area. This tragic accident demonstrates the need for broader interventions to address the issue of unused munitions conserved in depots that no longer meet the required safety standards for stockpiling this type of equipment.

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Handicap International has begun to tackle a new challenge in 2012: Clearing contaminated land and destroying explosive remnants of war in Tripoli and in Surt, one of the most mine and ERW-affected regions in the country.

Learn more in the February 2, 2012 Situation Report (figures updated on March 20)

Libya slideshows
Handicap International neutralizing anti-aircraft missiles
Teaching Libyans about the dangers of explosive remnants of war

Inspiring stories from Handicap International beneficiaries and staff in Haiti. Reports from the Field

Our teams are providing aid to people with disabilities, building shelters, setting up rapid response systems to protect the population from future disasters and promoting the economic and social inclusion of vulnerable individuals. Read our December 2011, 24-Month Situation Report

In 18 months, 214 Haitian professionals and 18 expatriates built 1,050 shelters in Haiti. View a slideshow of the project