FOCUS USA celebrated the anniversary of its founding by honoring the tens of thousands of volunteers and committed donors who have helped save lives, reduce suffering, and build resilience in communities prone to both manmade and natural disasters. Over the past 25 years, FOCUS USA has evolved significantly in both its scope and reach by uplifting global programs in disaster risk reduction as well as in humanitarian assistance, recovery, resettlement, and repatriation across Central and South Asia.
Focus Humanitarian Assistance was initially established in Canada in 1994 by Mawlana Hazar Imam to accommodate Afghan refugees migrating to the West. FOCUS Canada and the Canadian government signed a protocol sponsoring hundreds of refugee families to safely immigrate to the country. Soon after, FOCUS was established as a humanitarian relief agency to address the needs of humanitarian crises on a global scale, operating under the aegis of the Ismaili National Councils in Canada, the U.S., and Europe.
In 1995, a newly established FOCUS USA collaborated with the newly-independent Government of Tajikistan and members of the Tajik Jamat to provide food aid to the community and to respond to disasters in Gorno-Badakhshan, where the risk of earthquakes, landslides, flooding, and mountain glacial lake outbursts are high.
Tajikistan camp image here
To reduce dependence on humanitarian aid and encourage communities to transition to more sustainable and self-reliant living in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, India, as well as in northern areas of Pakistan, FOCUS USA has worked with multiple Aga Khan Development Agencies (AKDN) institutions and, since its birth, has established strong partnerships with the United States Agency for International Development, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations Children’s Fund, World Health Organization, World Food Program, and the governments of the USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, and many others.
In the early 2000s, FOCUS continued to expand its interventions in Central Asia with emergency relief, repatriation programs, and community-based disaster risk management efforts, all of which were aimed to better prepare communities exposed to natural disasters. “Over the years,” said Shakeel Hirji, FOCUS’ Global Coordinator, “over 2,000 Jamati settlements in South and Central Asia have been assessed for hazards and vulnerabilities resulting in community-led risk management plans developed to decrease exposure to risk and increasing community resilience.”
In 2016, the FOCUS offices in Central and South Asia joined other agencies to create the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH). As part of AKAH, Shakeel said, FOCUS’ efforts to build on community safety and resilience have further expanded to include structural mitigation risk reduction, access to basic services, and the creation of new, reliable economic opportunities.
Along with its international mandate, FOCUS USA has been active in the U.S. with preparedness and mitigation initiatives involving training national volunteers to prepare for, respond to, and become resilient in the wake of disasters.
“FOCUS USA closely collaborates with the National and Local Councils and the Disaster Management Teams to ensure family preparedness planning and stressing the importance of staying informed of local weather events as well as providing volunteers with various trainings including CPR/First Aid,” explained FOCUS USA Board Chairperson Shenila Momin. “We are working with ITREBs and RECs to provide disaster preparedness curriculum and the Economic Planning Board for disaster preparedness messaging for small businesses.”
The FOCUS USA preparedness initiatives involve ongoing training and simulation exercises with Disaster Management Team volunteers to ensure that they are able to effectively
SE DMT
manage disasters by developing and training on emergency management plans, establishing Community Emergency Response Teams and training volunteers on Incident Command System which promotes organization and coordination during an emergency response situation.
For decades, FOCUS USA and DMT volunteers have supported the most vulnerable populations in times of disaster, most notably during Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Irma, and Harvey—and during raging wildfires in California. During the 2020 global coronavirus pandemic, FOCUS USA, along with the Council for Southwest donated 500,000 reusable face masks to the City of Houston which were distributed among the most vulnerable in the community and first responders.
With emergency funding from FOCUS USA in Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, and Tajikistan, AKAH immediately jumped in to aid national response efforts, in
Afghanistan Big Pamirs
coordination with respective governments, to provide food, essential supplies for the communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic as well as communication efforts to raise hygiene and safety awareness in the remote mountainous areas.
Under the Agreement of Cooperation (AOC) between the states of Texas, California, and Illinois and the Ismaili Imamat, FOCUS USA leads and advises on matters of natural disaster preparedness, recovery, and environmental stewardship and management. For example, said Chairperson Shenila, as part of the California AOC, FOCUS USA and AKDN collaborate with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services on sharing best practice in emergency management when it comes to research and technologies aimed at preparing for and responding to threats to the public health, safety, and welfare of at-risk communities. This initiative also includes AKDN’s and Jamati Institutions’ annual promotion and participation in the Global ShakeOut Earthquake Drill.
Thanks to the support of its selfless volunteers, steadfast donors, and committed partners, FOCUS USA has made significant strides in keeping communities safe and resilient in the wake of natural and manmade disasters in the last 25 years, but there is still much more to be done. As global climate change continues to devastate the world’s most vulnerable communities, FOCUS will remain dedicated to its national partnerships while continuing to support the effective work of AKAH in Central and South Asia. We are in the midst of a climate emergency, and there is no time to waste.
