A view of the Halabja rapid response team training. Photo: Joint Crisis Coordination Centre
Week long course to improve skills in disaster response
Halabja rapid response team trains with German agency
HALABJA – The Rapid Response Team from the Halabja governorate has started a week-long training session in Erbil, led by the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief.
Mariwan Hasan, affiliated with the Joint Crisis Coordination Centre and overseeing the training, spoke to 964media about the goals of the program. “The aim is to improve the skills of our personnel and the rapid response team in managing crises and disasters,” he said.
The training features seven German instructors, each bringing specialized expertise, and includes exercises in semi-demolished buildings to mimic disaster environments.
Based in Berlin, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief operates 668 facilities across Germany. This training is a component of a collaborative effort between the German government and the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Interior to enhance the abilities of rapid response teams in the region.
Hasan further noted, “The field exercises are designed to boost our crisis and disaster response capabilities, making the teams adept at handling situations they’ve encountered in training.”
The program, which began on Sunday, and concludes at the week’s end, is part of a larger initiative to bolster disaster readiness in the Kurdistan region. Currently, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, Halabja, and Soran operate their rapid response teams, with plans to form additional teams in Garmiyan and Zakho within the year.
Each team comprises around 20 members who receive ongoing training to better respond to emergencies, equipped with specialized gear for their missions.