Afghanistan: Johanniter prepares communities for disasters
With financial support from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, Johanniter International Assistance is carrying out a project to bolster disaster prevention and first aid services in Balkh Province, Northern Afghanistan.
Afghanistan is frequently affected by natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, extreme cold, or droughts, and the northern part of the country is no exception. For this reason, the Johanniter have developed a disaster prevention project for Afghanistan in close cooperation with local authorities and international aid agencies.
Prior to the project’s launch, the local Johanniter team met with village elders and carried out a comprehensive assessment in Balkh Province to determine the scope of the aid required. Through their participation in courses, the local population is now learning appropriate disaster prevention measures.
In mock scenarios, the participants are able to put what they’ve learned to the test, so that during or after a catastrophe, they will be able to help. Strengthening the local population’s ability to help themselves is at the forefront of the training. Participants are also learning the skills they need to be able to help particularly endangered members of the population, such as children, disabled people, and the elderly, in the event of a natural disaster.
Through the establishment of a communal early warning system and the election of community representatives, the affected population can be warned as quickly as possible about a dangerous situation, and thus be able to react to the disaster in a timely manner. After closing their field office in Herat, the Johanniter opened a training center in Mazar-e-Sharif on 15 May 2010, with the goal of establishing a long-term presence in the region.
The international training coordinator worked together with local colleagues to put together training materials. These are being made available to the course participants. In addition, the international training coordinator has qualified three teams, each composed of one man and one woman, to serve as community trainers in disaster prevention according to international standards. In the future, several thousand people are expected to benefit from the trainings.
Aside from practical exercises, the courses will also deal with such questions as: What is the definition of a disaster? What is the difference between a natural and a man-made disaster? What should people do in the event of a specific disaster (i.e. earthquake, flood, etc.)? How do you get help? How do you put together an Emergency Kit for your family? The project began in June 2010 and is currently set to run until the end of November 2011.