- Making it Work (MIW) is a global multi-stakeholder initiative supporting the effective implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
- Source is an international information support center designed to strengthen the management, use and impact of information on health and disability.
- The U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Bombs, currently coordinated by Handicap International, is a coalition of thousands of people and U.S. non-governmental organizations working to convince the U.S. government to join the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty and the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions.
In the US
In Brief
Handicap International Responds to Earthquake in China
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – On Wednesday morning, a violent earthquake, which sources estimate was a magnitude of 6.9 to 7.1 on the Richter scale, struck China's Yushu district. In this isolated, hard-to-reach region, the quake has caused major damage, killing 589 people and injuring 10,000, according to current estimates. Handicap International mobilized a team on the ground to assess the situation.
After the earthquake, Handicap International took immediate action to collect as much information as possible from its partners and to offer the organization's help and expertise in the provision of aid to the victims.
A Handicap International vehicle left Chengdu Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. GMT for the site of the earthquake with emergency material (crutches, bandages, compresses and neck support), as well as two members of the Handicap International team: a physical therapist and a logistics specialist. Together, these staff members will assess the situation to plan our next steps in response to earthquake.
Handicap International has been present in China since 1997. It operates many projects in the field of rehabilitation, maternal health, care for orphans with disabilities and it supports associations of persons with disabilities. Handicap International also mobilized major efforts and resources when an earthquake struck the Sichuan region in 2008.
Handicap International works primarily in Chambo, Tibet, more than 149 miles (240 km) from the epicenter of the earthquake.
CONTACT:
Lea Radick, Communications Officer, Handicap International U.S.
Phone: +1 (301) 891-3002
E-mail: lradick@handicap-international.us
Mobile: +1 (201) 686-7448 -- For members of the press under deadline ONLY
www.handicap-international.us
Handicap International works to improve the living conditions of people living in disabling situations in post-conflict or low-income countries around the world. Our programs reduce and address the consequences of disabling accidents and disease; clear landmines and prevent mine related accidents through education; respond fast and effectively to natural and civil disasters in order to limit serious and permanent injuries and assist survivors with social and economic reintegration; and advocate for the universal recognition of the rights of the disabled through national planning and advocacy. Handicap International is a co-founder of the Cluster Munition Coalition and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which was awarded the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize.
