FOCUS USA
FOCUS USA and AKAH Partnering to Respond to Devastating Flooding in Pakistan
In response to the flooding emergency in Pakistan, FOCUS’s partner AKAH,P has provided evacuation and shelter support, technical coordination services, and emergency relief supplies with funding support from Focus Humanitarian Assistance. Extreme temperatures in early July 2022 led to glacial melting, high river and stream levels, and flash flooding throughout Pakistan, intensified by heavy monsoon […]
FOCUS’s Newly Arrived Migrants Program
FOCUS professionals in Europe offering assistance in navigating asylum process to newly arrived refugees who have fled conflict and political unrest.
International Women’s Day – Breaking Taboos: Women in Search & Rescue
On this International Women’s Day, we highlight three inspirational women of various generations who overcame societal pressures to help save lives within their communities. In 2000, Gul Noori was among the first women to respond to a call for volunteers in FOCUS’s inaugural Search & Rescue Team (SART), but she faced a number of social […]
FOCUS USA and the Ismaili community support national & local COVID-19 vaccination efforts
The Challenge Upon taking office, United States President Joe Biden committed to an initial goal of administering 100 million vaccinations in the country. The day after his inauguration, Focus Humanitarian Assistance USA (FOCUS USA) received a call from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Voluntary Agency Coordination Office to help support the national vaccination effort. […]
National Preparedness Month
USA, August 2013 – FOCUS USA was invited to attend the National Preparedness Month Proclamation signing ceremony with Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, held at the State Capitol in Atlanta. In the presence of Georgia Volunteer Organisations Active in Disaster (VOAD), government officials, and leaders from multiple faith-based organizations, the Governor officially declared September as the National […]
Tajikistan flood relief
Tajikistan, July 2015 – In July 2015 villages across Tajikistan experienced severe flooding and mud flows as the result of an outburst of glacial lakes up in the mountains. These disastrous events destroyed homes, knocked down power lines, and disrupted transportation and communication between villages. Focus Humanitarian Assistance Tajikistan, in collaboration with its partners and the […]
ShakeOut: Earthquake Preparedness
USA, October 2015 – During the month of October 2015, FOCUS-trained volunteers across the United States led their communities in the 2015 AKDN ShakeOut drill. The purpose of this drill was simple – practice makes perfect – as the drill taught individuals what to do in the event of an earthquake. In addition to teaching individuals […]
Earthquake relief in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan
Afghanistan/Tajikistan/Pakistan, October 2015 – Following a 7.5 magnitude earthquake in Central Asia in October 2015, Focus Humanitarian Assistance – in collaboration with the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and other partner agencies – provided relief efforts in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan to support affected communities. Immediately following the […]
FOCUS: Pakistan flood response
Pakistan, April 2016 – In April 2016, heavy rain and snow fall in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral triggered a series of devastating avalanches, flash floods and landslides that damaged over 600 houses. FOCUS evacuated critical patients utilizing AKDN helicopters and provided tents, blankets and non-food aid to affected households. With support from AKDN agencies, water purification tablets […]
Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into development planning
The Challenge Afghanistan, April 2016 – “Afghanistan is prone to multiple disasters. This conference has helped us to understand the benefits of the tool of mainstreaming and create a road map for implementing mainstreaming approaches into key Afghan government ministries to achieve the goal of disaster resilient development, with the support of FOCUS and ADPC,” said Mohammad […]
