FOCUS USA
FOCUS delivers emergency food assistance
The Challenge The high mountain communities residing in Big and Small Pamirs are predominantly Kyrgyz pastoralists, who maintain a nomadic lifestyle, and rely on their livestock for sustenance. Food security is an ongoing problem in this area, and the effects of climate change have heavily exacerbated the problem this year. Late snowfall limited the community’s […]
Agreement for a new phase of “creating opportunities in a safe environment”
Tajikistan, July 2016 – Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS), an affiliate of the Aga Khan Development Network, and the Swiss Cooperation Office in Tajikistan have signed an agreement to implement Phase II of a 36-month project that will directly and indirectly enhance community disaster preparedness levels of approximately 50,000 people in Tajikistan. The project, “Creating Opportunities in […]
Focus delivers relief items to Takhar province
Afghanistan, October 2016 – Focus Humanitarian Assistance (FOCUS) donated 125 tents and 100 Non Food Item packages to the Governor of Takhar to support 750 Internally Displaced People (IDP) in Kunduz. The Governor of Takhar, Mohammad Yasin Zia, expressed his gratitude to Focus Humanitarian Assistance and other NGOs who are helping with the response on the […]
Focus and USAID said sign agreement to create resilient communities
Pakistan, January 2017 – The Department of Emergency Management (formerly FOCUS) of the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Small Grants and Ambassador’s Fund Program initiated a project “Creating Resilient Communities in Shimshal Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan”. The project, which aims to build resilience against the threat of glacial […]
Fire safety and community preparedness
USA, February 2017 – On average, fire departments in the United States respond to a fire every 23 seconds. To prepare communities, FOCUS-trained volunteers in Chicago, IL provided training on how to put out small fires. Individuals were taught how to use fire extinguishers and other essential information on fire safety. FOCUS-trained volunteers also teach community […]
First Aid, CPR and AED skills
USA, Ongoing – Focus Humanitarian Assistance USA supports volunteers in the community to receive training in First Aid, CPR and AED skills. Over the past three years, over 1,300 volunteers across the United States have received training and certification in these life-saving skills.
Community-based disaster risk reduction programs
India, 2018 – Throughout 2018, villages in the coastal region in southern Gujarat have been a part of Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) India’s Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction Programs (CBDRR).1 Over the course of the year, AKAH India has conducted Disaster Awareness Programs (DAP), formed Village Disaster Committee in each village, trained Community Emergency Response Team in each […]
AKAH invests in capacity development for SART
Pakistan, October 2018 – The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) in Pakistan collaborated with the United Kingdom International Search and Rescue (UKISAR) and the Punjab Emergency Service to organize a certification course for its Search and Rescue Teams (SART) in Lahore.1 26 SART members, which included both men and women, attended the seven day long training […]
Avalanche safety and rescue teams deployed in Gbao
The Challenge Tajikistan, February 2019 – Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), a region highly vulnerable to natural hazards, has a long history of being negatively impacted by the effects of disasters. Avalanche is among many other hazards that causes catastrophic accidents often leading to fatal consequences and leaving large segment of the population without shelter and […]
How AKAH Tajikistan is increasing emergency response readiness
TAJIKISTAN (April 2020) – The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) recently conducted refresher trainings for members of the Rasht Valley’s Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT).[1] The workshops, which were designed to enhance emergency preparedness across six districts in Tajikistan, equipped CERT volunteers in first aid, light search and rescue and evacuation techniques, all of which enable […]
