KARACHI – A five-day course on managing dead bodies in emergency situations was held by the ICRC in Karachi earlier this month. It brought together 32 first responders from various organizations working in the areas of emergency management, law enforcement, and medical and legal assistance.

The course focused on topics such as identifying victims and providing tracing services in disaster situations. Experts Richard Ward and John Yoward were invited by the ICRC to facilitate the course in cooperation with ICRC Regional Forensic Adviser Cheryl Katzmarzyk.

“The course is in demand for big cities, such as Karachi, where violent incidents, serious accidents and other emergencies occur on a regular basis,” said Faisal Edhi of the Edhi Foundation. He said that although he had been managing dead bodies for a long time, he was unaware of many of the important issues involved before attending this course.

The CEO of the Aman Foundation, Dr Junaid Razzak, stressed the vital role played by forensics in dead body management and the need to learn new techniques. He added that the use of new techniques and regular training to update skills were required not only in Karachi but all over Pakistan.

The participants appreciated the way the course was organized, which enabled them to be engaged throughout its duration. The ICRC will organize a second such course in Islamabad in the autumn.