The Pakistan Humanitarian Forum (PHF) has completed 275 development and humanitarian projects worth Rs. 25 million that benefitted 19.9 million people in Pakistan.
This was revealed by Country Coordinator PHF, Syed Shahid Kazmi, at the annual showcasing event for the work its member organizations performed in 2021.
Speaking at the event, Kazmi said that among the 275 projects, 131 were humanitarian and 144 were development projects. The PHF member organizations brought a significant change in the area of health, education, women’s economic development, nutrition, food security, disaster management, shelter, and many other areas, through these projects, he added.
The Chair of the PHF Executive Committee, Farhan Ahmed Khan, shared that among these 275 projects, 44 percent had the COVID-19 component, 23 percent had a cash component, and 33 percent had a disaster risk reduction (DRR) component. He also mentioned that the PHF and its member organizations are fully committed to bringing a revolutionary change in Pakistan’s humanitarian and development sectors and to playing a highly effective role in fulfilling the targets of Vision 2025 and the country’s global and international commitments.
The Country Director mentioned that the international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) are investing lots of resources in Pakistan and reaching out to communities in hard-to-reach areas and changing their lives, but their contribution is not visible.
“It is high time that the people must be aware that this sector is fully committed to building the capacity of local organizations and to provide the assistance to the people,” he said.
Director General Federal Directorate of Immunization, Dr. Soofia Younas, stressed the joint efforts at all levels to meet the desired outcomes of the development and humanitarian goals in the country. She highlighted the importance of investing in overall health with a special focus on mother-child health and immunization of children for a healthy and prosperous future.
Head of Office Pakistan & Iran, European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), Taheeni Thammannagoda, said that organizations are aligning their program with development and humanitarian needs in the country. She underscored their role in providing humanitarian relief such as food and nutrition, shelter, health care, water and sanitation, and education in emergencies.
Appreciating the significant contribution of the INGOs toward humanity and development, government and civil society representatives expressed that the role of civil society and development and humanitarian agencies is crucial to bringing transformational change at the societal level.
A five-year strategic plan of the PHF was also shared at the ceremony to educate the audience about its intentions to contribute to the development and humanitarian sector.
While addressing the ceremony, Chairman PHF Board of Trustees, Lieutenant General (Retd.) Omar Mehmood Hayat, underscored the significance of the role of such a forum to take a position on any development and humanitarian challenge in the country. He further mentioned that the five-year plan is a strategic guideline, which helps PHF and its member organizations take tangible actions to meet the goals of SDGs and Vision 2025 of Pakistan.
