WHO Director-General lauds efforts deployed by Algerian Civil Protection team in Syria

By: Hana Saada

ALGIERS– The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, hailed, today Sunday, the efforts exerted by the units of the Algerian Civil protection currently operating in Syria and Turkey to take part in rescue and search operations for missing persons following the earthquake that hit both countries last Monday.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived on Saturday in Syria’s quake-stricken city of Aleppo, state media reported.

Tedros “arrived at Aleppo airport to tour some hospitals and shelters with (Syria’s) health minister and the governor of Aleppo,” the official news agency SANA said.

His visit came five days after a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria, killing more than 24,000 people including at least 3,553 in war-torn Syria alone.

In this vein, the Head of the Algerian Civil Protection search and rescue team in urban areas, Captain Hichem Tigrine, gave explanations to the head of the World Health Organization on the interventions of his team in Aleppo.

For his part, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad hailed, on Friday, from the disaster-stricken locality of Bustan Al Qasr in Aleppo, the tireless efforts deployed by Algerian teams of the Civil Protection and the Algerian Red Crescent (ARC) currently operating in Syria to take part in rescue and search operations for missing persons.

In a statement to the Algerian television crew in Syria, during a visit to this locality to assess the damage caused by the earthquake, the Syrian President said “I belong to a generation that learned at a very young age at school that Algeria is the country of the million and a half martyrs, and to whom it was explained how Syrian women had sold their valuables in order to buy aid to be sent to the Algerians” during the liberation war.

The relationship between Algeria and Syria is based on “Syria’s support for Algeria” during the Glorious War of National Liberation, as well as on “Algeria’s support for decades for the Arab and Syrian causes”, he said, adding that “it is not surprising to see this relationship demonstrated in this glorious way through this impressive show of solidarity”.

“We feel that the Algerians have come from deep inside Syria to help the Syrians,” said the Syrian President. “This is the sincere feeling we have always had towards the Algerians,” he added.

Besides, the American newspaper “Washington Post” praised the tireless efforts deployed by the Algerian Civil Protection teams, which are participating in rescue operations in Turkey and Syria.

Its correspondent from the Turkish Adiyaman region, Kareem Fahim described the civil protection personnel as “heroes”, after they succeeded in freeding two children from under the rubble of a building located on a street that had turned into ruins.

“Algerian rescue workers were this city’s heroes for a few minutes Wednesday after they freed two children from a collapsed apartment building, on a broad boulevard lined with destruction, long past the time anyone expected good news”.

The “Washington Post” reporter noted that the rescue operation involved a girl of about 7 years old and a younger child who were transferred to the hospital.

It added that the achievements of the Algerian rescue team were remarkable at a time when despair began to creep into the souls.

For his part, Cihan Ozay, 33, said, as reported by the newspaper: “The Algerians arrived late Monday, and were “really good,” before adding:

“They have great equipment… They take all the bodies out.”

“The Algerian team numbered 86 people — 89, counting command staff — and included six search and rescue dogs,” said Col. Farouk Achour, a spokesman, who spoke shortly after his colleagues saved the two children.

“Many people come to ask us to help them,” he added.

The lengthy report was attached with pictures of the rescue operation carried out by the Algerian Civil Protection team, in addition to another picture of the command center of the same team as they race against time to carry out other rescue operations.

Locally, President of the Republic Abdelmadjid Tebboune hailed, on Saturday, the units of the Civil Protection that are currently in Turkey and Syria for their efforts in rescuing and taking care of the disaster victims after the devastating earthquake.

President of the Republic wrote on his official twitter account “To our children of the Civil Protection in Turkey and Syria, I hail all of you for the smile and happiness you sowed among our brothers in Turkey and Syria with professionalism and heroism. Algeria is proud of you and you will return safe and sound by God’s grace.”