Cyprus is approved by the United Nations to help countries in earthquake situations, KNEWS

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The Cypriot Civil Defense is the fourth in the world to earn – after a painstaking and persistent four-year process – the INSARAG Light Usar Team Certificate for Assistance to Other Countries Post-Earthquake from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Civil Defense Commander Maria Baba said, in statements to the Central News Agency of America, that this certificate was obtained on the evening of Sunday, December 12, after a four-day exercise, which is “completely different from other exercises that were conducted until today.”

This particular exercise “was the culmination of a multi-year effort aimed at including us in our training and preparation regime, based on INSARAG international standards, and securing the relevant certification,” Baba explained.

“This puts Cyprus on the map of the few countries that can provide assistance to other countries after the earthquake,” she said.

And she continued, “We are the first search and rescue team to be accredited in Cyprus, the fourth in the world for the level we have obtained and the 60th in the world to obtain the INSARAG certificate, that is, the international search and rescue team. Advisory guidelines.”

In response to a question, Baba said, “INSARAGs are the only internationally recognized accreditation standards for earthquake search and rescue teams. These standards were prepared by an international committee of the United Nations, OCHA, and they are also recognized standards by the European Union.

Only a few search and rescue teams around the world have been able to achieve this certification

“Following these standards and certifying a rescue team for them is neither easy nor easy,” she explained.

For this reason, she said, “only a few search and rescue teams around the world have been able to achieve this certification,” noting at the same time that “every team wishing to be certified to the INSARAG standard must go through multi-year preparation and demonstrate specific capabilities.” In this area. ”

Regarding the final exam, Baba stated that “it is conducted by a committee consisting of experts from different countries in many subjects”. “In our case, we were examined by a panel of eight experts from seven countries,” she said.

She explained that the INSARAG standards “are related to search and rescue operations after an earthquake in a foreign country, which are operations under conditions of the highest degree of difficulty and risk.”

The Civil Defense Commander also noted that “the application of INSARAG standards in the training and preparation of the Civil Defense only makes us better and this has a direct impact on the mentality of our members as well as on the operational data.”

Asked whether the fact that all the trainees are volunteers proves to be an obstacle or diminishes the civil defense capabilities, Baba expressed his “pride in our volunteers but also in all our fellow citizens who voluntarily participate in various public benefit actions.” “

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