Handicap International Sindh

Handicap International has 35 years experience in humanitarian response and is currently active in more than 60 countries in both development and emergency contexts. In an emergency response context HI’s core mandate is to ensure a response to the needs of the most vulnerable persons, striving to mitigate the impact of crisis in terms of disability and morbidity. In Pakistan, HI has delivered emergency and development projects since the 1980’s and continued until late 1990 addressing the needs of Afghan refugees. In 2005 HI responded to the earthquake with multiple actions including reconstruction and disability specific measures in AJK and KPK. Subsequently HI shifted to a development approach with more community-based programming including the mainstreaming of disability into disaster risk reduction. In 2009 HI opened new emergency projects in KPK in response to the conflict and the massive flow of IDPs it triggered. Just recently HI completed a multi-donor multi sector emergency response programme in Thatta district in response to the 2010 floods. Part of this project included the construction or repair of 900 shelters in 39 villages in UC Kar Malik, Taluka Jati. WASH activities including the installation of handpumps and latrines along with some introductory hygiene promotion was part of the integrated package. Based on field observations HI identified a need for continued hygiene promotion with these communities and has just recently commenced a 14 month project aimed at contributing to improved living conditions for these communities through water resource management and hygiene promotion. HI now intends to recruit a team of hygiene promotion professionals to work alongside communities in these 39 villages to improve their hygiene conditions with an ultimate aim of improving their health.