TİKA Holds the “Training on Search and Rescue at Sea” in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), and IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation held the “Basic Training on Search and Rescue at Sea” for 30 search and rescue squad members in Jajce, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as part of the Emergency and Disaster Response Training Program (ADAMEP).

As part of ADAMEP, conducted by TİKA, the Basic Training on Search and Rescue at Sea was held in cooperation with BiH and IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation in order to improve Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capacity to respond to disasters and emergencies. 30 search and rescue squad members from Bosnia and Herzegovina attended the training held in Jajce. The trainees were given theoretical and applied training on the use of materials during search and rescue operations at sea, search with poles at sea, search techniques using feet, the ABCs of search, search in the river, and the use of rafts.

Certificates were presented at a ceremony

Certificates were presented to the trainees who successfully completed the training, at a ceremony. The certificate presentation ceremony was attended by Idriz Brkovic, Head of Department for Strategy Planning at the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Enes Memić, Acting Director of the Federal Administration of Civil Protection of FBiH; Nenad Cuk, Deputy Director at Civil Protection Administration of the Republic of Srpska; Muhammed Ünal, TİKA’s Program Coordinator in Sarajevo; Mariglen Shehi, European Coordinator at IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation; and local search and rescue squad members.

“We receive training requests from many countries”

In his opening remarks at the ceremony, Idriz Brkovic, Head of Department for Strategy Planning at the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stated that the program made a great contribution to the training of the skilled workforce needed by Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mariglen Shehi, European Coordinator at IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, delivered a speech on behalf of the foundation, and said that search and rescue training programs have continued as planned in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2017, and that they received training requests from many countries, thanks to the successful training programs coordinated by TİKA and the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“There has been a significant increase in incidents requiring emergency response”

In his speech at the ceremony, Muhammed Ünal, TİKA’s Program Coordinator in Sarajevo, noted that it constantly rains in Bosnia and Herzegovina due to its geographical location, and that there has been a significant increase in incidents requiring emergency response in recent years. He congratulated those who successfully completed the Basic Training on Search and Rescue at Sea, which was offered in order to improve teams’ capacity to respond together in search and rescue efforts. He stated that activities in the field of search and rescue in Bosnia and Herzegovina would continue.