Turkish charity announces cooperation with German counterpart

Turkish charity Kimse Yok Mu carried out 10,000 cataract surgeries on people in Sudan and other African countries in cooperation with other groups. (Photo: Cihan)

Date posted: March 31, 2015

ASYA, the disaster team of the Turkish charity Kimse Yok Mu, declared its cooperation with the German humanitarian organization I.S.A.R. with a press release on March 30.

The cooperation protocol was established upon Kimse Yok Mu’s request for I.S.A.R.’s help in the classification process of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG). Speaking on behalf of I.S.A.R., the president of the charity, Daniela Lesmeister, said: “We are happy to comply with the request. The ASYA team is highly motivated. Many parallels exist between both organizations. We are looking forward to good cooperation,” and accepted a position as a mentor of Kimse Yok Mu.

INSARAG has a classification system termed External Classification (IEC) to better delineate the individual abilities of urban search and rescue (USAR) teams available for international dispatch. INSARAG classifies teams according to a standard, so that disaster-affected countries can accept international support from USAR teams around the world. ASYA will be examined by the UN in a couple of years and classified according to the IEC. During the process I.S.A.R. will help ASYA adapt its structures to the minimum standards of the UN and INSARAG.

I.S.A.R. Germany, established in 2003, is an experienced disaster relief organization and assists victims of large-scale disasters with a search and rescue and/or a medical unit. I.S.A.R. Germany was classified as a “medium team” worldwide in 2007 and 2012 by INSARAG according to IEC standards.

The press release included a statement by Kimse Yok Mu President İsmail Cingöz, who said: “I.S.A.R. Germany is a team with impressive expertise in the USAR domain. We look forward to and are excited about this future partnership, which we believe will make us stronger as an organisation.”

Kimse Yok Mu’s disaster relief team, ASYA, comprises 381 specially trained experts and has worked in 13 disaster zones worldwide so far.

Source: Today's Zaman