The Universities Search and Rescue Games USAR 2024 Organized by the Presidency of the Civil Defence Organization began today.
Eleven universities from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and one university from Türkiye are participating in the games that will come to an end on Sunday 5th of May.
Speaking at the opening of the games, the Minister for Economy and Energy Olgun Amcaoğlu pointed to the importance of search and rescue when trying to save lives.
Under the coordination of the Presidency of the Civil Defence Organization the Universities Search and Rescue Games USAR Games 2024′ begun with the participation of young people registered in the search and rescue clubs of member universities of the International Universities Search and Rescue Council.
The games are taking place at the Metehan Training and Exercise Area.
The aim of the games is to raise awareness about rescuing people affected by disasters and emergencies.
Security Forces Commander Major General Osman Aytaç, Director of Police Kasım Kuni, Head of the Civil Defence Organization Atilla Karaca and Minister of Economy and Energy Olgun Amcaoğlu attended the ceremony.
In his speech at the event the head of the Civil Defence Organization Atilla Karaca emphasized the importance of disaster management for the society.
“The interest of young people in search and rescue activities makes us happy. The importance of disaster management has emerged due to the earthquake risk. We continue to work on increasing knowledge and capacity with stakeholders. We are trying to ensure the participation of different segments and we aim to create a social force. If we create a society that is aware of disasters, we can minimize damages in case of a natural disaster. We hope that this participation will continue to increase in the coming years. Our activities touch human lives,” said Karaca.
Addressing the event the Minister of Economy and Energy Olgun Amcaoğlu pointed to the importance of search and rescue activities and referred to their importance in terms of saving lives and gave the example of the February 6th earthquake in Türkiye.
Emphasizing that the search and rescue competitions are not just a competition, but a social responsibility project, the Minister of Economy noted that approximately 110 thousand students from 23 universities are ready to assist in search and rescue efforts when needed, as a civilian force that can come to the rescue in the future.
Moreover, Minister Amcaoğlu emphasized the importance of the Civil Defence Organization in meeting the country’s crucial needs and stated that efforts are being made to enhance its capabilities through competitions.
He emphasized that the government, along with other state institutions, must demonstrate sensitivity and fulfill the necessary requirements to support this cause.
“In this context, the ongoing competitions are examples of this collective effort” said Amcaoğlu.
