The search and rescue teams affiliated with the IHH Disaster Management Directorate played an active role in search and rescue operations conducted after natural disasters in Türkiye and various countries around the world in 2023, including the earthquakes that affected 11 provinces, particularly the earthquakes on February 6 in Türkiye.
About 80 thousands people participated in trainings
In addition to participating in 231 operations in 2023, the teams organized a total of 867 training programs, 864 meetings, 42 exercises, and 292 sports activities, in which about 80,000 people participated.
The teams participated in search and rescue operations following various natural disasters such as the February 6 Earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş in Türkiye, the Morocco Earthquake, the Flood Disaster in Libya, the Earthquake in Afghanistan, and the Forest Fire in Çanakkale in 2023 in Türkiye. They also took part in numerous accident and missing person cases. With trained personnel and qualified equipment, the teams made significant contributions to search and rescue efforts.
IHH teams rescued 3,278 individuals from the rubble.
The search and rescue teams affiliated with the IHH Disaster Management Directorate worked in coordination with AFAD's crisis management centers in the provinces following the February 6 earthquakes. The teams, consisting of 2,156 search and rescue personnel, 3 search dogs, 241 vehicles, and 38 teams' equipment and materials, participated in search and rescue operations in a total of 8 provinces, Adana, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Malatya, and Şanlıurfa, in Türkiye. A total of 3,278 individuals were rescued deceased or injured from the rubble by IHH Search and Rescue Teams between February 6 and February 23, 2023,.
Training in 25 different areas
The trainings organized by the teams in 2023 and their numbers are as follows:
- 176 Disaster Awareness Trainings
- 5 Disaster Awareness Instructor Trainings
- 8 Disaster Psychology Trainings
- 51 Accreditation Trainings
- 4 Shelter Trainings
- 9 Mountaineering Trainings
- 172 Wilderness Search and Rescue Trainings
- 12 Hazmat/CBRN Trainings
- 22 Diving Trainings
- 102 First Aid Trainings
- 15 First Aid Awareness Trainings
- 12 Personal Development Trainings
- 4 K9 Trainings
- 123 Urban Search and Rescue Trainings
- 4 Urban Search and Rescue Instructor Trainings
- 8 Basic Search and Rescue Trainings
- 27 Water Search and Rescue Trainings
- 1 Water Search and Rescue Instructor Training
- 9 Orientation Trainings
- 29 Radio Communications Trainings
- 72 Fire Knowledge Trainings
