The BE PREPARED project (HUSKROUA/23/S/1.1/003) is strengthening disaster preparedness and resilience in Satu Mare County (RO) and the Ivano-Frankivsk Region (UA). Implemented by the Romanian Red Cross – Satu Mare Branch in partnership with the Ukrainian Red Cross, the project addresses both natural hazards — such as floods, droughts and extreme weather — and man-made disasters, including forest fires and industrial accidents.
By establishing six cross-border disaster response detachments and delivering large-scale first aid and prevention training, the project is building practical, community-based capacity to respond effectively to emergencies.
Training young people for real-life disaster response
One of the recent milestones of the project was a joint trauma make-up and disaster simulation camp, organised between 18–23 August 2025 in Satu Mare. The six-day camp brought together 30 young participants (15 Romanian and 15 Ukrainian), aged 15–20, in an intensive learning and exchange environment.
Participants took part in:
- hands-on trauma make-up workshops simulating injuries such as burns, fractures and bleeding,
- first aid and accident simulation exercises,
- teamwork-based activities and joint scenarios,
- intercultural learning through mixed Romanian–Ukrainian groups.
The training combined theory, practice and creativity, preparing young volunteers to realistically support emergency simulations and disaster response exercises.
Building resilience through cooperation
The camp is part of a wider project effort that includes:
- training 480 adults in first aid,
- reaching 10,000 children with disaster prevention education,
- and organising a joint cross-border disaster response exercise once all detachments are operational.
Through practical training, youth engagement and cross-border cooperation, BE PREPARED contributes to safer, more resilient communities on both sides of the border.
More about the project: https://next.huskroua-cbc.eu/project-map/national-red-cross-society-satu-mare-branch/
Tracking progress – sharing impact
Training today’s youth to become tomorrow’s disaster responders — building cross-border resilience where it matters most.
