Amazing Press release from OggaDoon about our work!
March 2022
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Notes to editors:
For all press enquiries and to arrange an interview, please contact Nicola Finn, OggaDoon PR and Digital Media on 07779245709 or email nicola@oggadoon.co.uk
Press release – Presidium Network
Date: 3rd March 2022
Heroes don’t wear capes; they help those in crisis. The Presidium Network are once again looking to help those going through a humanitarian crisis
- The Presidium Network is a UK non-profit CIC that operate tirelessly behind the scenes to help those currently embroiled in a humanitarian crisis.
- The Presidium Network are verified sources available for comment on the latest situation on the ground to help get aid in the correct hands quickly, combat fraud and also false news.
- Set up to help deal with complex challenges during Afghanistan, it is now gearing up to help the people of Ukraine in their efforts to protect their country and their people.
- The Presidium Network want to discourage those who plan on using the crisis in Ukraine to their advantage and keep the lines of communication and compassion open to all.
The professionals that helped to make this possible have worked in the finance and humanitarian sector collectively for over 40 years, the masterminds are:
- Scott Richards, the founder of the Joint Test Force for Anti-Corruption.
- Kristina Touzenis, Former Head of International Migration Law at the International Organisation of Migration.
- Dominik Byrne, Fundsurfer and Trillion Impact – Infrastructure investment specialist in developing countries and over 10 years in humanitarian infrastructure deployment.
- Oliver Mochizuki, CEO of Fundsurfer and Trillion Impact.
These are the men and women who are dedicating themselves to helping the people of Ukraine the same way they helped those struggling with the conflict in Afghanistan. But the Presidium network has also partnered with 3 other international organisations who helped with the efforts in Afghanistan and other crisis zones. This has created a coalition called the Joint Humanitarian Operations Centre. This coalition aims to work with local NGOs private organisations and individuals in crisis zones to help create efficient logistic supply chains, as well as have locals run the operations.
The companies are:
- Smart SBC is a Swedish organisation that specialises in humanitarian logistics and technology as well as long term infrastructure. They have deployed in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Africa.
- Ospreys Global, is an organisation from the US that specialises in humanitarian medical supplies and logistics.
- Shoulder2Shoulder, again based in the US, is a charity that supports evacuations from crisis points.
Each of these companies has 2 representatives that make up the Joint Humanitarian Operations Centre (JHOC). The support that JHOC offers is second to none and includes finding food, water, and medicine, they can also provide evacuation support including transportation, emergency infrastructure technology (water systems) and intelligence analysis reports. It’s key to point out that the organisation is not a short-term support scheme but a long-term development team that can support a country even after the crisis has ended. The JHOC’s logistic model is designed to be a helping hand when it comes to humanitarian aid, they can assist evacuation efforts, can buy, and deploy humanitarian aid anywhere in the world and have a strict financial policy run by Fundsurfer. This is overseen by the JHOC advisory board to make sure everything is legitimate. Most of the money that is spent goes on buying and distributing resources to the crisis zones
JHOC currently has 2 active projects at the moment, Afghanistan where wither is a dedicated local team delivering aid and helping keep those under direct threat alive through the use of safe houses and even with the ongoing issues involving trade and such, there is a registered organisation in Afghanistan itself that has licences to operate and import good into the country, one of only a few due to recent events. Between the JHOC organisations collectively they have helped support 26,000 people stay alive and over 2000 people have been evacuated due to the support of the JHOC including vulnerable women and children and government officials.
In Afghanistan, there are over 7000 more people who are yet to be evacuated and millions more who are starving or sick, so being able to get those people help is a crucial part of their goal. Vaccination centres are now active and supporting the people of Afghanistan. When it is safe to do so the organisation will send in one of the international teams that can help with the operations scalability. Because of the handling of Afghanistan JHOC now has the capacity to work with other crisis zones, more specifically Ukraine which is now fully operational!
With the ongoing humanitarian crisis currently unfolding in Ukraine, the JHOC has successfully set up a trusted local network of volunteers to handle local operations in Ukraine which was curated from previous contacts of the team. Alongside this, they have also got a team of drivers ready to help with the evacuation process. Part of the resources that have been procured are 2 warehouses, one in Ukraine and the other is located in Poland. Up to 20 lorries have been acquired to support the efforts to provide humanitarian aid and carry the resources from the border into Ukraine to then be stored and distributed if and when it is needed through the network as far as Eastern Ukraine. The network has also got 3 trusted Ukrainian NGOs that will be helping supply aid to the front line and other areas that need assistance.
Volunteers from Poland have also come forward, helping carry out humanitarian aid over the border and assisting in the evacuation of the Ukrainian people over to Poland. Through our network of drivers in Ukraine, 40 people have already been relocated safely out of Kyiv, mostly women and children, and more buses and trains have also made it to safety. Currently, any goods that have been donated to the Ukraine via the Polish border are being picked up by the JHOC logistics team to take deeper into Ukraine for those unlucky enough to be unable to escape
Resources for the people of Ukraine and Afghanistan are still needed and fast. There are 2 dedicated and verified fundraising pages dedicated to helping raise funds for those in need
If you want to help the families who have been affected by the ongoing conflict, you can donate here:
Afghanistan: https://www.fundsurfer.com/crowdfund/afghansupport
Ukraine: https://www.fundsurfer.com/crowdfund/UkrainianAid
Once the funding increases, JHOC will deploy at least two of their teams into Ukraine to manage the base and coordinate from inside Ukraine. Using these 2 links can help get money and resources into both countries and be used on frontline support. UHOC do offline fundraising for any management or costs outside the crisis zone.
**ENDS**
Notes to editors:
For all press enquiries and to arrange an interview, please contact Nicola Finn, OggaDoon PR and Digital Media on 07779245709 or email nicola@oggadoon.co.uk
Presidium Network
The Presidium Network is a UK non-profit that provides support to communities in crisis to manage humanitarian issues and represent the needs of people affected by violence or poverty to international-policy makers.
Our Mission is -
Provide recommendation and coordination services to international stakeholders and advocacy for communities affected by conflict and widespread violence and/or violations of human rights to decelerate violence, and improve the respect for human rights;
We find and advocate for practical and programmatic solutions to specific and broad societal issues and situations for communities facing uncertainty as a result of violence or social instability;
We work diligently with our partners to ensure that humanitarian aid and services reach vulnerable and displaced civilian populations;
