TEHRAN - Iranian crisis management teams participated in the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) forum, which was held in Doha, Qatar, on October 18-19.

The country’s representatives were invited by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the INSARAG Secretariat in Geneva to attend the meeting, Majid Aron, an official with Tehran Crisis Management Organization, said, ISNA reported.

The teams participated in the Global Forum on INSARAG after the action review (AAR) of the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) response to the Turkey and Syria earthquakes.

The earthquakes in Turkey and Syria on February 6 resulted in the largest-ever deployment of the INSARAG network.

On the sidelines of the forum, Iranian participants met Lucien Jaggi, representative of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and Winston Chang, representative of the INSARAG Secretariat in Geneva,

They discussed the cooperation of the United Nations OCHA and the INSARAG Secretariat in Geneva in the process of the Iranian urban search and rescue teams’ membership in the INSARAG network.

They also discussed when and how the assessment team will examine the current Iranian teams, select a suitable mentor (consultant) for them, hold the required training programs regarding the coordination, standards, guidelines, equipment, systems, and INSARAG software in the coordination and management of information and urban search and rescue operations.

INSARAG global forum 2023

"The meeting was held with the presence of representatives of experienced USAR teams and INSARAG team leaders’ network to carefully review each team's performance, and their previous mission reports to revitalize the INSARAG global response,” Aron added.

The meeting had two parts; presenting the analysis of the USAR responses, and reviewing recommendations and suggestions.

Holding workshops for capacity building and strengthening localization; quality standards and compliance; INSARAG systems and guidelines; USAR information and operations management.

Iran to join intl. USAR

On July 4, Aron said the country is seeking to become a member of international USAR teams.

Urban search and rescue teams play a critical role in responding to disasters, and putting together an effective team requires careful planning and preparation.

The concept of USAR originated in the 1960s as a result of the increasing number of high-rise buildings in urban areas.

A coordination meeting was held to assess two urban search and rescue teams in the Tehran metropolis, ISNA quoted Aron as saying.

The meeting was attended by the head of the Tehran Crisis Management Organization, representatives of the United Nations OCHA in Iran, and the director of the emergency response unit of the INSARAG Secretariat in Geneva.

Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, firefighting organizations, security services, and the Red Crescent Society were also present in the meeting which was held online.

OCHA, INSARAG

OCHA was established in December 1991 by the General Assembly to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disasters.

In the first stage, organizing and forming two urban search and rescue teams based on international models was put on the agenda, Aron said.

After that, the Islamic Republic of Iran will become a full member of the international urban rescue and rescue teams, he added.

INSARAG is a global network of more than 90 countries and organizations under the United Nations umbrella.

The INSARAG’s primary purpose is to facilitate coordination between the various international USAR teams who make themselves available for deployment to countries experiencing devastating events of structural collapse due primarily to earthquakes.

The group achieves such coordination by facilitating opportunities for communication between these groups ahead of such events. These meetings of teams have resulted in many practical agreements between them that have streamlined working together during actual disasters.

MT/MG