In June 2021, Bright Star Development Society Balochistan (BSDSB), were funded to assist in mitigating an anticipated heatwave in Sibi (Pakistan). Bright Star provided behavioural messaging in addition to ‘cooling facilities’ that provided cold water and a place to rest.
In August 2020, Bright Star Development Society Balochistan (BSDSB) was awarded £30,000 to respond to COVID-19 in Pakistan. In addition to reaching 500 vulnerable families with food and hygiene packages, they also invested in a behaviour messaging campaign that involved displaying banners and distributing posters, leaflets, and stickers amongst the communities and in key public locations.
HELP Foundation became a member of Start Network in June, and was recently awarded funds to respond to the COVID-19 crisis in their local area of Pakistan through the support of Avaaz and a private donor. In addition to awareness raising, HELP Foundation distributed food and hygiene packages to vulnerable families.
Here we talk with Sana Zulfiqar who told us about the continuation of the work of the DEPP and how it has led to new initiatives in Pakistan and the wider region. Sana has been able to push forward many of the Start Networks initiatives in localisation and “shifting the power”.
Here Saeed Ullah Khan shares some of his reflections on the achievements and challenges of Start Network’s Disasters and Emergencies Preparedness Programme (DEPP) in Pakistan, his observations on its continuing legacy and his suggestions on how these efforts could be further improved.
How can the humanitarian sector in Pakistan build more effective systems for humanitarian action? And how do we need to work together to achieve it? These were the questions we attempted to answer during Start Network’s ‘The Future of Humanitarian Action in Pakistan’ conference, held in July in Islamabad, with the support of ACTED and the Humanitarian Leadership Academy.
Emily Montier and a group of ten NGOs meet in Pakistan to work on prototyping a new financing facility, designed to release funds for early action in emerging droughts.
Shahida Arif, Regional Learning Advisor for Pakistan and Bangladesh, Disasters and Emergencies Preparedness Programme (DEPP), on the recent DEPP conference in Islamabad.
Last week, the Start Network set up the third and fourth Start Fund decision making groups in Myanmar and Pakistan.
Providing a unique opportunity to enhance coordination and collaboration amongst different DEPP projects at country level.
