DUSHANBE, November 1, 2011, Asia-Plus – The National Disaster Response Teams (NDRT) of Tajikistan’s Red Crescent Society (RCS) are being trained to improve the disaster response skills and knowledge during the Simulation Exercises, which started the city of Qairoqqum, Sughd province on October 31 and will last until November 2, Abdulfattoh Shafiyev, IDRL Coordinator, IFRC Country Representation in Tajikistan, said.
The event is organized by RCS jointly with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Committee on Emergency Situation and Civil Defense (CES) under the Government of Tajikistan, the Sughd regional administration and the Qairoqqum mayor’s office under financial support of IFRC.
About 70 NDRT members from RCS’s branches in Dushanbe, Khatlon, Sughd, Gorno Badakhshan and Rasht valley are learning Disaster Preparedness and Response, Assessment, Shelter Provision, Recovery, Coordination, First Aid and Logistician.
The exercise scenario is based on a devastating earthquake and striking some settlements of Qayroqqum city and RCS National Disaster Response Teams (NDRT) should be able to response to the disasters in time, assess the situation and negotiate with the officials to find out the needs, plan and coordinate the activities to be done, participate in rescuing the survivors and providing them with first aid, psychological support, shelter, foods and non-food items, etc.
Mr. Eric Michel-Sellier, IFRC Country Representative in Tajikistan, says that the NDRT members have an opportunity to gain knowledge during lessons and to practice and strengthen their theories and knowledge during the Simulation Exercise on the effective and emergency response to pretended natural disasters and coordination of efforts and activities. He says the workshop is “an interactive learning opportunity and the chance to share knowledge and experiences. It will bring together different actors in disaster management field and promote good cooperation and a better understanding of the role of the different response actors in the field.”
According to the RCS Secretary-General Zafar Muhabbatov, the current training targeted to create a pool of disaster responders; to develop the skills and knowledge of staff and volunteers who will be deployed on NDRT missions and to enhance the collaboration in time of disasters between the RCST and the governmental agencies. He says that “local authorities, including doctors, police, emergency services and other city response structures, and local population, as well as Tajikistan RC staff and volunteers are being actively involved into the Simulation Exercise”.
Mr. Shamsuddin Muhiddinov, Disaster Management Programs Manager at IFRC Country Representation in Tajikistan, counts the benefits the training participants gain: “They will learn how to establish and lead a group of relief workers; to analyze the risks, prepare a plan of actions and budgeting; to assess the situation in case of disasters and to coordinate their activities with the officials; to provide rescue operations; to organize a temporary camp or shelter for survivors and to provide them with first aid and psychological support; foods and non-food items, to solve logistic issues and other challenges, how to deal with media and etc.”
The training participants are also being introduced into IFRC Disaster Management structure, terminology and definitions, IFRC disaster response tools and ICRC safer access and tracing in emergencies methods.
