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"My only ambition is to be in good health"

Emergency Explosive weapons Rehabilitation
Yemen

Ali is thirty years old. A head trauma and fracture to his right tibia left him almost entirely unable to use his legs. Thanks to HI, he is now able to get about independently again.

Ali at a rehabilitation session

Ali at a rehabilitation session | © Ayman / HI

A living hell

Last August, Ali was hit by gunfire and left almost totally paralysed in both legs. This instigated a downward spiral familiar to psychologists: depression, isolation, no appetite for life, insomnia, aggression etc. 

Self-reliance

The key to Ali's recovery was to end his dependence on medical staff and make him self-reliant again.

HI provided Ali with a walking frame and commode chair. Being able to wash and use the toilet alone is a first step towards restoring patients' self-esteem.  At the same time, a series of rehabilitation sessions allowed him to regain muscle strength.

Knowing you're not alone

Providing psychological support was essential. After one month the results were already visible. Ali thought his life was over, he has now started to accept his new circumstances, interact with others and recover from his depression. He realises that he is not the only person on the earth with a disability, he expresses and shares his thoughts and has made new friends.

"My only ambition is to be in good health,"

he tells Hilam, the HI psychologist.  Motivation to receive care is vital for successful rehabilitation.

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How to clear a former battlefield
© HI
Explosive weapons

How to clear a former battlefield

HI conducts clearance operations in Tabqa, in Northeast Syria, an area prone to fierce battles during the conflict, to handover lands to villagers and farmers.

In Gaza, the reality exceeds anything I've experienced in humanitarian emergencies"
© Violette Van Bever / HI
Emergency Rehabilitation

In Gaza, the reality exceeds anything I've experienced in humanitarian emergencies"

Specialist in emergency rehabilitation Violette Van Bever was in Gaza last April and May to support HI's rehabilitation teams. She describes a humanitarian hell:

HI certified as a “Specialised Emergency Rehabilitation” Team by the WHO
© B. Blondel / HI
Emergency

HI certified as a “Specialised Emergency Rehabilitation” Team by the WHO

HI is certified by the World Health Organisation for its expertise in emergency rehabilitation.