PESHAWAR: Relief and rescue workers who took part in a training workshop urged the government and international relief organisations to help equip them with skills and resources to better respond to disasters and emergencies, which is a recurrent phenomenon in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and adjacent tribal areas.

`Bomb blasts hit civilians frequently in Peshawar and other parts of the province. We need more training to better deal with such disasters,` said Noor Zaman, the head of emergency with the Edhi Foundation in Peshawar. He was one of the participants being nrst responders to emergencies imparted training by the International Committee of RedCross (ICRC).

Handling the dead with respect and dignity was the theme of a five-day course run by the ICRC which drew to a close on Friday in Peshawar. The event was an opportunity to share best practices and highlight the importance of accurate identification.

The participants revisited their usual methods of dealing with bodles in the wake of natural disasters and violence. The best current practices were then discussed. The course brought together emergency responders from the disaster management, law enforcement, hospitals and medical schools, and non-governmental organisations from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

`When disaster strikes anywhere in the world, families and entire communities have an overwhelming desire to learn the fate of their loved ones and to identify and mourn their dead,` said Cheryl Katzmarzyk, an ICRC forensicexpert.

`Careful, ethical and comprehensive management of bodies is therefore a critical component of any disaster response,` she said while speaking at the concluding session ofthe training.

She said that about 10 such trainings had been held since 2010 in the major cities of Pakistan, adding that ICRC was holding such sessions so that nrst responders could show better response and best practices in management of the dead bodies during disasters and emergencies.

Disaster responders in Pakistan have to deal with the consequences of a range of often complex emergencies. This course gave them an opportunity to share their experiences and acquire new skills.

Improper management of the dead can traumatise families and communities, said Dr Asad Ali Khan, director general of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Emergency Rescue Service1122.

Dr Asghar Khan, who has dealtwith the death toll of many emergencies during his 17-year service at Peshawar`s Lady Reading Hospital, said that given the number of casualties regularly received by the LRH staff, this course would help them to improve their methods of managing human bodies.

Through these courses the ICRC aims to help the authorities and other organisations devise policies and coordinated procedures to ensure respectful and efficient management of the dead.

The participants appreciated the course,butsaidthatsuchtrainings were needed from time to time to help equip the first responders better respond during disasters.

Lack of proper rescue services for the conflict-affected tribal areas was also highlighted.

Some of the participants who worked with the Fata Disaster Management Authority said that there was need to extend services of the relief and rescue bodies to the tribal areas too.