The training program to educate humanitarian aid worker to become experts organised by the UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Qatar RAF organization and SPHERE Training Program was hosted by IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation in Istanbul.

At the SPHERE training organised by OCHA, RAF and IHH, emergency response and what needs to be done in crisis zones, strengthening the quality of humanitarian assistance and organizations active in humanitarian operation, their own organs, donors, to increase the accountability towards the people affected by disasters and conflicts were discussed with examples.

At the end of the one week program representatives of aid organizations from Turkey, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Yemen and Qatar were given "The Sphere Project" certificate for their participation.

On behalf of IHH, IHH Syria Logistics Representative Şuayb Altun and IHH Syria Permanent Projects Representative Serkan Öktem participated in the program and received the certificates.

What is the International Sphere Project?

Sphere represents a voluntary initiative, reflects the common experience and the collective will of the actors in the humanitarian field. These actors are national, international non-governmental organizations, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Organization of the United Nations, donor organizations, host government and is composed of representatives of the population affected by emergency situations.

A board consisting of representatives of NGOs working under a small project management team about all sides of the Sphere support services, is working to utilize the materials and training opportunities. Financial needs of the project team to support these activities are covered by the Management Board member organizations.

Sphere Project was first started in 1997, branching off from these two basic ideas:

1. All possible steps should be taken to alleviate the suffering of the people due to disasters and conflicts.
2. People affected by a disaster, have the right to get help and live with dignity.”

The Sphere Projects and its book International Human Law, drew their own support understanding from the basic movement from Human Rights Law and Refugees Law.

The first Sphere initiative collected in 1997, has established the framework of the Humanitarian Charter and the five major sectors to apply the minimum standards in disaster relief (water supply and sanitation, nutrition, food aid, shelter and health services) has been defined.

The aim of the project

To improve the quality of the assistance provided to the people affected by disasters, to ensure the development of accountability towards the government bodies and aid organizations, donors and the communities affected by the disaster.