Turkey’s disaster agency kicks off training project

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

Gökçeada Island residents intervene to clean after heavy floods in this May 2 photo. Turkey’s disaster agency boosts efforts for quicker intervention.

Turkey’s disaster agency has started a new initiative to make quicker interventions in emergency situations.

The Prime Ministry’s Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) will launch its new project “Turkey Prepared for Disasters” May 7 in Istanbul, with the participation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The project has four main branches planning to give instructions to citizens on how to handle emergency situations. The four branches are schools, families, offices and volunteers.

AFAD chairman Fuat Oktay says the projects on schools are the heart of this work, with 17.5 million students being planned to be educated.

“Schools Prepared for Disasters plan is the heart of this project since schools have the young population to carry our country to the future and serve in raising awareness,” he said.

Oktay admitted that citizens are not well informed enough on what to do before, during and after disasters.

“Minimizing our losses in disasters can only be possible when all of the sections of our community are well informed,” he said.

According to the plan, AFAD has already educated thousands of teachers and AFAD district personnel, Oktay said, adding they will be able to reach at least a teacher in every school in the 81 provinces of Turkey.