Pakistan Relief Fund

The unprecedented flooding in Pakistan continues to have a devastating impact, with more than 33 million people estimated to be affected, while more than 1,700 lives were lost and more than 2.2 million houses damaged or destroyed. With homes, livelihoods and crops washed away people are still in need of urgent help and many more dependent on humanitarian aid.

Pakistan remains among the most vulnerable countries to climate change, so it’s critical that reconstruction efforts promote a climate-resilient economy. These funds will go towards climate resilience programs, directly addressing the root cause of Pakistan’s most recent flooding.

And with more than 20 million people still depending on humanitarian aid, the humanitarian phase is also not yet over. Additional humanitarian funding is urgently needed to cover the most critical needs. We can direct funds to the most effective organizations^1^ for the greatest impact.

If you are keen to have even greater impact, we would also welcome you as one of our named matching consortium partners.2

1 We are working with UBS Optimus Foundation grantees Americares and The Citizens Foundation, who are on the ground in Pakistan, and can ensure your giving helps both during this disaster, and on the long road to recovery.

2 If you are interested in becoming a named matching consortium partner by donating USD 500k or more, please let us know and we will contact you to discuss in detail.

New | March 2023

UBS Optimus Foundation is delighted to announce that thanks to the generosity of a matching partner, the Aga Khan Foundation, 100% matching on donations from employees and clients has been extended *.

By donating collectively, we can fund the most effective organizations for the greatest impact.

* Currently capped at USD 1.2 million, donations over this threshold will be matched at 10%

Faith and Philanthropy

We understand the role faith plays for many of our clients in shaping values, identifying needs, and helping others. In addition to the Pakistan Relief Fund, UBS Optimus Foundation has also offered a 20% match to donations made to Zakat-eligible programs around the world, including The Citizens Foundation, Luminos Fund, DoctorShare, and Muso.

How to give during a humanitarian crisis

To learn more from our experts about how to react thoughtfully and effectively with your philanthropy through the giving cycles of humanitarian crises, download the full guide.

In times of need, one of the most effective ways of giving for maximum impact is collectively. Would you like to connect and exchange with other philanthropists and changemakers? If so, ask your client advisor about joining our Global Philanthropists Community.

Partners we recommend

Here are some of the partners that we are working with*:

Americares

  • Americares are actively responding to the emergency in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). This includes procuring non-food items locally to provide support to medical outreach teams of local health-focused partners; supporting free medical camps and the rehabilitation of damaged health facilities.
  • A grant will support them with their immediate goals which are to rehabilitate/support 20 -50 health facilities where there has been significant damage to the health infrastructure; support  medical camps by funding medical supplies and medications; procure and distribute vital non-food Items (cooking sets, mats, tents) 500- 1500  families; and fund up to 60 hand pumps for communities in greatest need of clean water.​
  • Americares has a history of responding in Pakistan since 1990, including most recently in 2021 in response to COVID with WASH and other programming. They are able to utilize existing commercial partners to procure and ship necessary products to the impacted regions and deliver other needed programming with local partners.
Fact sheet Americarespdf, 92 KB

The Citizens Foundation

  • The Citizen's Foundation (TCF) are working to deliver food, rebuild homes, and rehabilitate schools. TCF have schools in hundreds of remote communities across Pakistan, which means they have deep local knowledge and an ability to mobilize in places that are typically forgotten, thanks to their faculty, staff, and alumni. This is the fourth time since 2005 that TCF is stepping up to respond to a national disaster in Pakistan.​
  • A grant will help them with their immediate goals of identifying and delivering 1 million meals to the most affected families in the communities surrounding TCF schools; providing cash transfers for building materials to 5000 families whose homes have been severely damaged or destroyed; and rehabilitating 100 schools that have suffered from both water damage and heavy use as shelters.
Fact sheet The Citizens Foundationpdf, 94 KB

Aga Khan Foundation

  • Aga Khan Foundation (AGF) has built a strong presence in Pakistan, with a community needs-informed approach and is therefore able to respond effectively to critical emergencies in its program regions. Using a tailored approach to respond to the needs of at-risk communities, AKF’s solution aims to improve the resilience of communities to the impacts of climate change. The project will focus on climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies to enhance the physical means to protect communities against future risks. 
  • Additionally, the solution will reduce pressure on lean natural resources, and instead, promote nature-based adaptive and regenerative agricultural practices for better economic recovery and long-term growth to benefit men, women, and children. Over the duration of the one-year pilot, the project aims to reach over 25,000 individuals, of which 50% to be women.
Fact sheet Aga Khan Foundationpdf, 76 KB

*Kindly note this list is not exhaustive and donors are unable to allocate their donations to a specific partner.

Maximize your impact

  • Knowing where to give can be overwhelming; with our long-established partnerships, you benefit from grantees carefully pre-vetted by our team of experts.
  • The flexible nature of the Fund allows us to respond quickly as the situation changes, so we can share donations to other vetted partners if such a need arises.
  • We diligently track progress and share regular feedback.

With a gift to the UBS Optimus Foundation Pakistan Relief Fund, you could support thousands of people in immediate and longer term need. 

Our aim is to:

  • Mobilize emergency support for Pakistani families in affected regions, such as economic assistance, meals and medical and non-food emergency supplies.
  • Provide health-focused humanitarian aid for Pakistani’s by sourcing and distributing critically needed medicine, deploying emergency medical teams and support access to health services and programs.
  • Support vulnerable children and families to ensure homes are rebuilt or repaired, schools are rehabilitated after water damage and children can receive continuity of their education.

More questions? Please get in touch!

Ask your UBS Client or Financial Advisor or send us an email choosing your local UBS Optimus Foundation representative office