The EU-funded Programme on Prevention, Preparedness and Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters in the Eastern Partnership Countries (PPRD East 2) conducted training courses for relief experts from the six Eastern Partner Countries on 14–20 May. The course addressed mechanisms for coordination – a key component of disaster relief efficiency. Many of the course’s participants will play an active part in the planned full-scale field exercise, EU MOLDEX 2017, which will take place in Moldova in September 2017.
The Civil Protection Training Programme included topics such as the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism, disaster relief coordination through the UN and the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement, host nation support, team preparation and management, safety and security, and media relations. The courses also included practical exercises simulating the environment in a disaster-stricken country.
“The courses have given us a lot of theoretical and practical knowledge,” said Nodar Kutibashvili, a participant from Georgia. “And, more than that, they have given us a network of contacts in each participating country and in the EU,” he added.
Ever since the Spitak earthquake in Armenia in 1988, the international community has worked to improve the efficiency of disaster relief through better coordination. The Civil Protection Mechanism of the European Union is a key instrument in this regard. PPRD East 2 conducts such training for disaster experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.
