Humanitarian Response

PODA has extensive experience in humanitarian assistance programs, specifically women’s protection, child protection, and gender mainstreaming during emergencies. PODA provided protection facilities, services, and NFIs to internally displaced women and adolescent girls during the 2005 earthquake, 2010 flood, 2011 flood2, and COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 – 2021. PODA has been supporting marginalized Afghan refugee women and girls since 2021. PODA has managed the European Union, US Embassy, Asia Foundation, National Endowment for Democracy (NED), UN Women, UNDP, FAO, MADRE, and Teachers’ Without Boarders for development and humanitarian response.  PODA has an operational presence in 50 districts of Pakistan through the PODA Rural Women Network, where women leaders are already part of the 2022 flood emergency response in collaboration with local authorities and organizations working on women’s emergency care needs. Since 2005,

PODA reached out to 583 families in 25 flood-affected districts of Pakistan during the Floods in 2022. PODA sent Non-Food Items (NFIs) to targeted districts where women leaders collected and carried them to their specific villages for distribution to the most vulnerable flood-affected women and girls.

Following is the list of items distributed by PODA during the Floods 2022:

280 blankets
37 sets of mosquito nets
25 tents
25 floor mats
63 water cooler
250 packs of water purification tablets
44 sewing machines
50 emergency light batteries
25 first-aid boxes
1351 mosquito repellent kits
25 iron trunks with supplies for 50 women to do small handicraft projects for women and girls
250 sanitary napkin packets and soap, water buckets, and plastic sheets
2500 medicines (anti-malaria)

PODA has provided humanitarian assistance to more than one million people in need. Details are as following:

Distribution of First Aid Boxes to Rural Woman Leader Ms. Azra Memon for 2022 Flood Affected Families in Dadu, Sindh (Funded by MADRE)
Distribution of Tents to Rural Woman Leader Ms. Khanzadi Kapri for 2022 Flood Affected Families in Tharparker, Sindh (Funded by MADRE)
Distribution of Blankets to Rural Woman Leader Ms. Rawish Zahra for 2022 Flood Affected Families in Muzaffargarh, South Punjab (Funded by MADRE)
Distribution of Mosquito Protection Nets to Rural Woman Leader Ms. Rukhsana Bibi for 2022 Flood Affected Families in Charsadda, KPK (Funded by MADRE)
In 2021 PODA facilitated 72 Afghan human rights defenders, journalists, and women leaders through provision of accommodation, Covid19 vaccination and international travel facilitation (Funded by NED)
In 2022 PODA facilitated 10 Afghan Refugee Women and Children survivors of domestic violence through provision of Shelter and psycho-social services in Islamabad. (Funded by MADRE)
As part of Humanitarian Assistance activities, PODA also responded to COVID-19 pandemic emergency: PODA distributed COVID-19 protective gears including sanitizers and masks to more than 1000 people including elderly persons in rural areas of District Chakwal, Jhelum, Rawalpindi and Sargodha. PODA distributed ration bags to 50 families in Chakwal before Eid-ul-Fiter during COVID-19.
During pandemic PODA also facilitated biometric verification of women for Ehsass Cash Transfer Program. As CNIC is the pre requisite to get benefit from Ehsass program so PODA identified the women who need cash assistance, facilitated their CNIC registration, facilitated biometric verification for cash program and apply for cash program. In district Chakwal, PODA helped 80 families to receive (12,000 Pakistani Rupees) from Ehsass Cash Transfer programs. PODA facilitated these families to complete their pre requisite documents and apply online for cash transfer. Among 80 families, 50 were women headed households facilitated by PODA.
Training of Seed preservation and food security to Rural Women during COVID 2021 (Funded by GAIN International)
Distribution of Free Masks to Rural Community Members in 2020 by PODA Staff (Funded by WILPF)
Collection of donations from communities in Punjab for distribution to Flood affectees in Dera Ismail Khan KPK during 2011
Humanitarian Assistance activities
کرونا وائرس کی موجودہ صورت حال میں گندم کی کٹائی اور حفاظتی تدابیر خواجہ زاہد نسیم لیگل ایڈوائز ر ”پوداپاکستان“
Distribution of Relief Items to Flood affectees in Nawabshah, Sindh during 2010 (Funded by AJWS)
Distribution of Tents to Earthquake affected families in Kashmir in 2005 by PODA Team (Funded by TWB and AJWS)

PODA has extensive experience in humanitarian assistance programs, specifically women’s protection, child protection, and gender mainstreaming during emergencies. PODA provided protection facilities, services, and NFIs to internally displaced women and adolescent girls during the 2005 earthquake, 2010 flood, 2011 flood2, and COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 – 2021. PODA has been supporting marginalized Afghan refugee women and girls since 2021. PODA has managed the European Union, US Embassy, Asia Foundation, National Endowment for Democracy (NED), UN Women, UNDP, FAO, MADRE, and Teachers’ Without Boarders for development and humanitarian response.  PODA has an operational presence in 50 districts of Pakistan through the PODA Rural Women Network, where women leaders are already part of the 2022 flood emergency response in collaboration with local authorities and organizations working on women’s emergency care needs. Since 2005, PODA has provided humanitarian assistance to more than one million people in need. Details are as following:

YearNature of DisasterActivitiesBeneficiariesDonor
2005EarthquakeEmergency relief-NFIs20,000Teachers without Borders USA
2006EarthquakeIncome generation for women through handicrafts and Advocacy for women’s property rights, EVAW12,000Global Fund for Children – USA
2010FloodNFIs, Women Friendly Spaces, awareness about hygiene, protection from early marriages20,000  UNFPA
2011FloodChild Friendly Spaces, Psycho-Social Counselling , facilitation of women to get CNIC and register for support through government schemes40,000  UNICEF Open Society Teachers without Borders
2020Covid 19 pandemicHygeine kits, awareness for Covid protection, mobilization for Covid-testing & vaccination of women5000European Union in Pakistan UNDP
2021Covid 19 pandemicIncome generation through mask making, providing digital access to women and girls and facilitating women to apply for compensation11000Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
2022Afghan refugees transit Support and a Shelter for women facing VAWAssisting Afghan NGO staff to transit in Pakistan to get flights                 – Providing housing, perdiem, medical care and awareness about women’s rights to 5 families with small children93National Endowment for Democracy –USA MADRE-USA