Disaster Preparedness Training in Karachi by TİKA and IHH

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) and the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation Disaster Management jointly organized an Advanced Urban Search and Rescue Training program with the participation of 30 volunteers from the Sindh Scouts Association and the Alkhidmat Foundation.

Volunteers who successfully completed the training program were awarded certificates at a ceremony. The event was attended by former Ombudsman of Sindh Province, Aijaz Ali Khan; TİKA’s Coordinator in Karachi, Halil İbrahim Başaran; Director General of Colleges of Sindh Province, Dr. Navaid Rab Siddiqui; IHH Disaster Management Trainers, the Karachi Metropolitan Municipality urban search and rescue team, and numerous distinguished guests.

Former Ombudsman of Sindh Province, Ali Khan, stated that disasters frequently occur in Sindh and emphasized the importance of such training programs.

TİKA Coordinator Başaran highlighted that the long-standing efforts initiated in Pakistan following the devastating floods and the earthquakes in Türkiye are ongoing, and this training program has further strengthened cooperation.

Scout team leader Tauhid Fatima, one of the volunteers who participated in the training, shared that they had an excellent training experience, learning the values of teamwork and perseverance. Fatima expressed her excitement about participating in every training program organized by TİKA and conveyed her gratitude to TİKA for providing this opportunity and to the IHH disaster management trainers for their invaluable contributions.

Search and rescue training to continue with TİKA’s support

As part of the search and rescue training program launched in 2023, a total of four training sessions have been conducted in Pakistan so far. The program, structured in two main phases—search and rescue in natural environments and urban search and rescue—has successfully reached its final stages. Additionally, the third phase, focusing on search and rescue in water, is scheduled to take place in Türkiye.