Awareness event on disaster management held at Damascus University City

The Directorate of Emergency and Disaster Management in Damascus Governorate, in cooperation with the Youth Affairs Foundation in Damascus and its countryside, organized an awareness event on how to deal with disasters, within the University City campus in the Maza area of Damascus today, Tuesday.

The event, held on the occasion of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, included a theoretical lecture followed by a simulation of a virtual evacuation in one of the university buildings, aiming to enhance students' awareness of how to handle emergencies and disasters, and to train them to respond during the initial moments of an incident.

Reham Al-Salah, head of the Empowerment Department at the Damascus Directorate of Emergency and Disaster Management, stated in a statement to SANA that the event included a simulation of a building evacuation following a partial collapse that resulted in injuries and a fire. The goal was to empower and train students to handle sudden incidents and raise public awareness regarding safety and prevention procedures.

For his part, Suleiman Abu Arshid, Director of the Youth Affairs Office in Damascus and its countryside, emphasized the importance of this event for students, especially as it coincides with the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. He noted that it reflects genuine cooperation between the Foundation and the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management to raise community awareness on how to handle emergencies, particularly during the first moments of their occurrence, thereby helping to minimize losses and protect lives.

For his part, Saif Al-Balkhi, head of the Student Union at the University City (Maza Cluster) in Damascus, pointed out the importance of practical application in conveying awareness messages directly and effectively to the target groups. For her part, student Shahd Al-Nashar, who resides in the Maza university dormitory, said: "We learned the importance of maintaining calm and self-control in the event of a disaster such as a fire or earthquake, following proper evacuation steps to ensure personal safety, as well as contacting emergency services via the number 113 as soon as possible."

October 13 of each year marks the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, which was established by the United Nations in 1989 and officially adopted in January 2009.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)