Concern Worldwide
Since its foundation in Ireland in 1968, Concern Worldwide, through its work in emergencies and long term development, has saved countless lives, relieved considerable suffering and provided opportunities for a better life for millions of people. Over the past eight years, Concern has doubled both the number of countries we work in and our budgets, and has substantially increased staff numbers. Concern now works in some 30 countries, has an annual budget of over €100 million, and employs around 4,000 staff.

Concern in Pakistan
Concern’s first involvement in Pakistan was an emergency response to flooding in 1992. Subsequently, in 1998, Concern established an office in Islamabad. The purpose of the Islamabad office was primarily to support our relief operations in neighbouring Afghanistan, but we also initiated some small-scale interventions in Pakistan. Concern became fully operational in Pakistan in the latter part of 2001, when we responded to the Afghan refugee crisis on the border with Afghanistan in Balochistan province.

Concern Worldwide Pakistan Programme (CWPP) later moved into long-term development programming in the provinces of Balochistan and Punjab. Our programmes focus mainly on Livelihoods, Health and Emergencies, while HIV/AIDS, Disaster Risk Reduction and Equality are important cross-cutting themes.

Concern Worldwide Pakistan Programme currently has more than 60 local staff, works with several LNGO partners and has forged strong links with government departments at the local, provincial and federal levels.

During the last five years, apart from the Afghan refugee influx, Concern has responded to a range of natural disasters such as the 2003 and 2004 earthquakes in the Northern areas/NWFP, repeated flooding in Balochistan and Sindh and, of course, the massive earthquake in NWFP and AJK in October 2005.

In the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake, we responded to the immediate emergency in the worst hit areas of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), providing shelter, food & non food items and watsan services to over 45,000 families.

The emergency response in NWFP has evolved into a Livelihoods Rehabilitation programme, and Concern now plans to continue working in NWFP with longer-term development programming.