Israel´s Major Contribution to Relief Effort

Israel is playing a major role in the international relief and rescue efforts in southeast Asia.

Updated Dec 30, 2004.

The IDF sent a shipment of aid and medical equipment to Sri Lanka, with more than 82 tons of supplies including 10,000 blankets, 3,680 liters of mineral water, 12 tons of food, 17.5 tons of baby food, over nine tons of medicine and additional supplies such as generators, blankets, tents, beds and mattresses.

Magen David Adom, in coordination with the International Red Cross, dispatched on an El Al flight a shipment of medicines to Sri Lanka to aid trauma victims. The shipment contained 4,080 bottles of serum albumin, worth over $100,000. (France, with a population ten times that of Israel, reported yesterday it was donating only some $136,000 in aid.) The medicine is used in treating trauma victims, as well as patients suffering from malnourishment and liver disease, and will be distributed among hospitals in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo.

The Israeli aid organization Latet ("To Give") flew an early contingent to Sri Lanka, to assess how to deal with the transit and distribution of donated equipment, and later filled a jumbo jet with 18 tons of supplies. El-Al flew the delegation and the equipment free of charge, and FedEx Flying Cargo will fly equipment to the target site free of charge.

Consoft Ltd. has donated 250,000 water purification tablets. Aladdin Knowledge Systems Ltd. has donated $7,000 towards the purchase of supplies. Other companies and private citizens have also made donations, including 1,000 water storage containers.

A medical team headed by four doctors from Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday night, carrying medicine and baby food. The doctors specialize in rescue operations, trauma and pediatrics.

A ZAKA rescue-and-recovery team arrived in the disaster areas Monday night, armed with its specialized equipment for identifying bodies.

A Health Ministry contingent, including doctors, nurses and four members of the IDF, arrived in Thailand to aid in rescue efforts.

Israel has also offered assistance to India, including a search-and-rescue team from the Home Front Command, as well as consignments of food and medicine.

Chabad's important efforts in Thailand are detailed here.

Israel´s Major Contribution to Relief Effort