QRCS Hosts Regional Workshop to Boost Earthquake Awareness Across MENA

Doha, October 03, 2026 : The Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has hosted the ShakeSmart Regional Communication Workshop on earthquake preparedness.

IFRC Organizes Two-Day Event with Japanese Red Cross Support

The two-day event was organized by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to explore implementation tools, with technical support from the Japanese Red Cross Society. It brought together communications experts from National Societies across the Middle East and North Africa, aiming to strengthen regional capacity for community communication on earthquake awareness and risk reduction.

QRCS Official Highlights Shift to Practical Implementation

Assistant Secretary-General for Relief and International Development Sector at QRCS Mohammed Bader Al Sada said the workshop was intended to shift from theoretical planning to practical implementation through messages reaching all segments of society. He cited the 1948 Ashgabat earthquake, which claimed the lives of 10 percent of the population within seconds amid a lack of knowledge and weak infrastructure.

Regional Drill to Focus on "Drop, Cover, Hold On"

Al Sada said the initiative offers an opportunity to promote preventive action through a coordinated regional drill focused on three critical steps — drop, cover, and hold on — stressing that the primary objective is to build societies that know how to protect themselves in the event of a disaster.

IFRC Official Cites Recent Regional Earthquakes

Deputy Regional Director of the IFRC in the MENA region, Christian Cortez, cited the fallout from recent devastating earthquakes in Syria, Türkiye, and Morocco, emphasizing that the threat remains real amid compounding challenges such as urban expansion and climate change. He noted that technical analyses and risk maps save lives only when turned into credible, actionable messages, adding that success should be measured not by the volume of materials produced, but by the number of people who become better informed and prepared to act before, during, and after an earthquake.

Japanese Red Cross Praises QRCS's Leading Role

Kentaro Nakashima of the Japanese Red Cross Society praised QRCS's leading role, noting that earthquake response relies on automatic reactions and pre-training, since individuals typically have only a couple of minutes to make decisions — making effective communication essential to turning awareness into life-saving behavior.

Workshop Concludes with Focus on Localized Messaging

The workshop concluded with a focus on adapting communication packages for local and urban contexts, designing media materials to support the coordinated regional drill, and developing multichannel awareness content tailored to different segments of the community.

Source: QNA