ISLAMABAD, Thursday, August, 28, 2025 (WNP): The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has stepped forward to strengthen the disaster response capabilities in the Northern Areas, including Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), revenged by severe floods.

As part of a special initiative launched in Muzaffarabad, TİKA organized a three-day intensive training program for Emergency Service Rescue 1122 under the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). The training equipped personnel and volunteers with vital skills in Basic Life Support, CPR, flood rescue operations, high-angle rescue, and rope-based rescue systems.

To reinforce rescue operations, TİKA also handed over essential equipment, including three motorbike ambulances, two rescue motorbikes, one inflatable boat, a drone, water rescue kits, and a wide range of first aid and emergency response tools.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, SDMA AJK Director General Sardar Waheed Khan praised Türkiye’s timely support, “The friendship and brotherhood between the people of Türkiye and Kashmir have been proven time and again. This project, which enhances the response capacity of AJK 1122, is yet another renewal of these strong bonds.”

TİKA Country Coordinator Saliha Tuna highlighted the project’s dual impact: immediate relief and long-term resilience. “Through this initiative, we aim not only to strengthen emergency response capacity but also to support SDMA in training hundreds of volunteers in the coming years, thereby enhancing community resilience. Türkiye will always stand with Pakistan and AJK in times of need.”

The initiative comes as Pakistan struggles to cope with the increasing frequency of climate-induced disasters. By enhancing the skills and resources of local rescue services, the project is expected to significantly improve emergency response and save lives in future crises.