A training meeting of the disaster relief teams of Karakalpakstan, Tashkent city, Khorezm, Bukhara, Jizzakh, Surkhandarya, Samarkand, Andijan, Tashkent, Ferghana, and Namangan regions of the Red Crescent Society of Uzbekistan is being held in the village of Yangiobod on 20-25 August.

The event is financially supported by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO).

The volunteers of the Society, members of the teams totaling 77 people who have passed the first aid and reaction programme at the Society’s study centres are participating in the training.

The main aim pursued by the training is the deepening of knowledge, development and strengthening of practical skills in objective assessment of the emergency situation resulting from natural disasters, organization of a field camp, provision of first aid to the victims, as well as practicing of the elements of interaction, mutual help in difficult situations during the rescue and evacuation operations. All rescue teams will live in camp tents in the field conditions.

The training will be carried out in four stages:

1. the teams assess the situation and evaluate the potential in near-lying villages or towns.

2. organization of a field camp in accordance with the standards of the International Federation of Red Crest and Crescent Societies. The teams must be able to create camp maps, manage the camp and provide humanitarian aid.

3. provision of first aid and evacuation of the victims.

4. complex training. Moving cross-country to the location where the emergency situation has taken place. Finding and getting the victims from under the ruins, provision of first aid and transportation of the victims to the ambulance.

In June-July 2007, regional trainings of the disaster relief teams were conducted in Namangan, Tashkent and Bukhara. The best teams were identified to participate in the republican training.