INGOs working for disaster response in Pakistan formed an informal network by the name of Northern Areas Earthquake Relief Operation (NAERO), right after 2002 earthquake in Northern Areas of Pakistan. The objective of that network was to coordinate response and rehabilitation activities of INGOs in the affected area.
This was very useful experience for INGOs in terms of networking, coordinating and resource sharing, which motivated them to come up with some formal network. In June 2003, a two-day workshop was arranged in Islamabad for brainstorming on the formation of formal coordination body or network. All the leading INGOs working in disaster management participated. After having consensus Pak-Humanitarian Forum was formed to coordinate and strengthen the efforts of International NGOs working in disaster management. The forum collectively represents INGOs to the Government of Pakistan.
For the
period August 2007 to August 2008, World Vision is the chair of PHF and as such
is the focal point for coordination. Previous chairs included Islamic Relief
(UK) from 2004 to 2005, Church World Service-Pakistan/Afghanistan from 2005 to
2006, and Oxfam GB from 2006 to 2007. The chair and immediate past chair of PHF
sit on the Pakistan Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Country Team, a
coordination mechanism for UN agencies, the Red Cross Movement, and
international NGOs.
