Trust Consultancy & Development opened a new office in Islamabad, Pakistan, aimed at bringing Trust’s international portfolio, experience, technical in-house capacities and extensive network of experts across South Asia, to support the local organizations and professionals leading development and assistance programs to answer the most pressing needs of the populations in the region.
South Asia has long been marked by humanitarian crises. Despite political improvements, the region remains rife with security problems and internal conflicts, especially in Afghanistan and Pakistan. So far South Asia has witnessed an escalation of humanitarian situations, two of the most significant being the relentless spread of HIV/AIDS and terrorist attacks.
In Afghanistan, scarcity of natural resources such as land and water has consistently been reported as the main driver for most incidents of intra-level conflict in the country. Moreover, the conflicts and instability of the past decades have impacted Afghanistan’s population, economy and even environment, which is overwhelming for a population where 70-80 per cent of Afghans are directly dependent on these same natural resources for their survival, income and livelihood. In a country where 47.3 per cent of the population lives below the national poverty line by 2020 and less than 20 per cent of Afghans have access to the water distribution system, access to arable land and water for agricultural purposes has exacerbated the conflict in Afghanistan today due to resource competition, greed and grievances and lack of economic alternatives for the local population.
Further, the humanitarian situation in Pakistan is marked by intercommunal violence and natural hazards that have triggered localised and small-scale displacement in the region. Most IDPs in the region lack access to adequate shelter, protection and WASH services. Pakistan is hosting more than three million Afghan refugees since the 1980’s and thousands of Afghan refugees migrated due to the current regime change. The humanitarian response in the region has been complicated by the fact that there are ethnic, political, regional or even tribal divisions in people experiencing protracted displacement. In addition, active militant groups, such as the Taliban and Islamic State based groups, have exacerbated security concerns in the country, making it more challenging to deliver an optimal level of relief.
Islamabad, Pakistan
Office # 2, 2nd Floor, Silver Plaza G-11 Markaz
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Office #2, Business Center, Foundation University New Lalazar
General inquiries: pakistan@trustconsultancy.org
Training related: training.pk@trustconsultancy.org