Humanitarian training offered in Turkish, Ukrainian

March 29, 2023 – Those responding to ongoing needs following the devastating earthquakes in Turkey in February now have access to online humanitarian training modules in Turkish, thanks to an effort from the Building a Better Response Project (BBR), a consortium including the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI), the International Medical Corps (IMC), and Concern Worldwide.

Supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance, BBR translated six online modules into Turkish, all aimed at ensuring that those on the front lines—including national and international nongovernmental organization personnel and other humanitarian actors—can work in a coordinated way and respond effectively to the needs of those affected by the disaster. Courses provide training on topics such as the international humanitarian coordination system, planning and funding disaster responses, and complex humanitarian emergencies.

HHI has also provided humanitarian training in translation in support of responders to the war in Ukraine. HHI collaborated with the IMC, Mass General Brigham, Boston Children’s Hospital, the Global Medical Knowledge Alliance, and ELEMENT Productions to develop a series of online educational videos to empower all Ukrainians—the public, healthcare workers, medics, firefighters, and law enforcement—with the skills needed to save lives, such as stopping life-threatening bleeding or dealing with chemical, biological, or nuclear attacks. The videos are in Ukrainian with English subtitles.

Read a Harvard Humanitarian Initiative news article: Building a Better Response: Turkish e-Learning Translations

Read a Brigham and Women’s Hospital release: Ukrainian Save a Life Online Video Series Provides Lifesaving Resources to Those Affected by Ongoing Conflict