Turkmenistan civil defense, education and health officials increase knowledge in disaster risk reduction in educationASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, 20 May 2011 – Disaster risk reduction in education was the focus of discussion at the workshop organized by the Government of Turkmenistan and UNICEF in Awaza this May. Attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Defense, education and health information specialists and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the workshop aimed at familiarizing participants with the importance of initiating disaster risk reduction in education. Among the recommendations were strengthening legislation regarding emergencies of natural and man-caused character, including issues of seismic security, upgrading currently existing standards and reviewing the national emergency contingency plan. As UNICEF Deputy Representative Elena Sialchonak mentioned, “history and evidence shows that after nineties the number of disasters have increased causing loss of thousands of lives. Turkmenistan is in seismically sensitive area and it is, therefore, crucial for the country to have a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan and more importantly, to ensure that children of Turkmenistan are safe and protected.” “Education in emergencies is one of the priority areas at UNICEF and we look forward to assisting the Government of Turkmenistan in capacity development in this important area,” Ms. Sialchonak noted. The workshop is a follow up event to the Regional Education in Emergencies training that took place in Turkey in November 2010 with Turkmenistan’s participation. For more information please contact: Ms. Gulyalek Soltanova
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