©InfoSyria is vulnerable to a range of natural disasters, including earthquakes, drought and flooding. In addition, collapsing buildings and road traffic accidents are common risks. Conflicts in neighbouring countries also pose significant challenges, and there have been large influxes of refugees from Iraq and Lebanon in recent years.
The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) has increasingly been involved with national level disaster responses since 2001. It also has many years experience dealing with local disasters through its 14 branches.
The Lebanese crisis, in summer 2006, saw the organisation dealing with vast numbers of refugees, managing camps and distributing relief items. This was a new level of challenge and highlighted the need for SARC to develop its disaster management structure. This includes preparing better for disasters and developing the skills of staff and volunteers in areas such as first aid, health in emergencies, water and sanitation, camp management and logistics.
Modernising disaster management
The British Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have been supporting the extensive modernisation of SARC’s disaster management operations since 2004.
A national disaster response plan has been developed to help SARC co-ordinate the response during times of disaster with the Syrian government and other key partners.
It has been used to help identify roles and responsibilities in co-ordinating relief and establish plans of action for different major risk scenarios, such as earthquake, floods and conflict. All systems put in place are tested each year by carrying out simulated exercises.
Training volunteers
©InfoVolunteers are the strength of any Red Cross/Red Crescent National Society and SARC can call on over 3,000 volunteers throughout the country, of which almost one third are women, to help respond when a catastrophe occurs.
The programme works closely with communities and increases the ability of staff and volunteers to prepare for and respond to disasters through training in specialist areas, such as assessing damage, first aid and purchasing and distributing emergency relief items.
The majority of volunteers are young and programmes are designed specifically for their engagement. These include; community-based first aid training under the slogan ‘a first aid rescuer in each household’, road safety and first aid training with schoolchildren, and safe driving for those in their teens and twenties.
Success so far
Since 2004, dedicated disaster management units with trained staff and volunteers, and specialised equipment have been established throughout the country. These volunteers have also responded to the humanitarian needs of more than 30,000 Iraqi refugee families. In addition, over 1,000 volunteers have been trained in:
- first aid
- logistics
- water and sanitation
- preparing for disasters
- damage and need vulnerability assessments
- health in emergencies, including food and nutrition
- emergency relief, including camp management, registration and distribution.
More about preparing for disasters