Civil defense is considered one of the important needs to be met in times of war and crises, whether at the level of organization, staff, or equipment. Perhaps the war which the Assad regime is carrying out against the Syrian people, which has continued for years, was an important incentive to activate the role of the civil defense in the areas the opposition controls.
The “Syrian Civil Defense” in its various centers is an important starting point and basic support for evacuating wounded, extinguishing fires, and participating in vaccination activities, as well as spreading awareness of various dangers.
Al-Souria Net’s correspondent in Daraa says that over the last few days – coinciding with the ceasefire truce between regime forces and opposition factions – the Syrian Civil Defense centers in the province have carried out an intensification of awareness campaigns for civilians, especially for war-related risks and how to deal with them.
In an exclusive interview with Al-Souria Net, Nebras al-Hourani, media official for the Syrian Civil Defense for the eastern sector in Daraa province, said: “The civil defense centers in different districts of the province worked to intensify their awareness campaigns about war-related risks. These campaigns focused on identifying hazardous remnants from combat, like cluster bombs, unexploded ordnance and different types of mines, as well as how to protect yourself, stay away and inform people about them, and what to do during bombardment against civilian areas.”
Hourani said: “These campaigns are mostly done in schools and psychological support centers and other gathering places to include children, women and elderly. The campaigns adopt several outreach methods to ease the understanding of the observer and absorb the aims of the campaign, like giving educational lessons, distributing civil defense fliers, as well as presenting plays and animated films to correct the information in the minds of those observing them. The campaigns include distributing games to children in a special initiative by the civil defense to decrease the psychological impact and effects of the war.”
Regarding the participation of women in the civil defense campaigns, Hourani said: “What distinguishes the Syrian Civil Defense is the presence of a dedicated staff of women within the civil defense teams. The role of women is not limited solely to evacuations, but extends to include participation in various outreach activities from giving lessons to distributing various fliers.”
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
