Ashgabat – IOM in cooperation with the Center for Emergency Situations and Disaster Risk Reduction (CESSDRR) held a two-day training “Protecting Nationals Abroad in the Context of Crisis Situations” for the representatives of Consular Services, and Emergency Situations departments from the countries of Central Asia and Afghanistan. The training was organized within the framework of the project ”Asia Regional Migration Program” funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM USA).

Based on the MICIC Guidelines IOM provided expertise and capacity-building assistance in reviewing potential crises and learning how to address migrants’ needs in emergencies. Specific objectives of the training were to strengthen the awareness of the personnel of migrants’ home country institutions tasked to support and assist citizens living and working abroad, provide concrete information and practical guidance to reduce migrants’ vulnerability in crises through a variety of measures covering both emergency preparedness and response, build capacity of consular officials to address some of these challenges before, during and after crises, including through the use of specific tools, with a particular eye on the needs of labor migrants and specific groups of migrants who may be particularly vulnerable and promote coordination among relevant institutional actors of countries of origin and destination at the national and regional levels.

The training was attended by 25 governmental representatives from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It is noteworthy that the Government of Turkmenistan has demonstrated its continued commitment to UN initiatives on humanitarian issues, including issues of disaster preparedness and potential response to such situations.

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Please contact IOM Sub regional Coordination Office for Central Asia in Almaty for additional information: +7727 2582240, iomalmaty@iom.int.