This news comes from the efforts of The Israel Project
Israeli search and rescue delegation departs to Haiti
Video of Israeli rescue efforts in Haiti (See “other videos” tab)
Past IDF Search and Rescue Aid Delegations Abroad
Israeli Aid Delegation Begins Work in Haiti (Raw Footage)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdplDDY9MGA
Twitter updates of IDF Medical and Rescue Team in Haiti: @IDFinHaiti
Israeli and Jewish groups continue their efforts to provide relief to the people of Haiti.[1]
On Jan. 15, the Israel Defense Forces’ emergency aid team arrived in Haiti, consisting of a medical mission and search and rescue teams.[2] The team has established a major field hospital adjacent to Port-au-Prince’s soccer stadium, which is reported to be one of the largest medical facilities currently operating in Haiti with the capacity to treat up to 500 patients per day.[3] The field hospital is equipped with:
*
Operating rooms
*
An intensive care ward
*
A maternity ward
*
Pediatrics ward
*
Incubator units
*
Pharmacy
*
X-ray equipment
*
10 tons of medical equipment
*
90 beds, 66 intensive care beds and two delivery beds
*
Approximately 250 personnel, including 40 doctors and specialists, 20 nurses and several paramedics.[4]
The IDF search and rescue teams include about 30 operators and dozens of operations personnel including logistics IT, communications and canine units.[5]
The IDF rescued a 52-year old man from the ruins of a government office building Jan 17 after he communicated his location by SMS.[6] The Israeli team worked for six hours before finally freeing him.[7]
On Sunday, (Jan. 17), a baby boy was delivered inside the Israeli field hospital. The mother of the child said she would call him Israel. [7]
Israeli emergency response service (ZAKA) volunteers on the ground in Haiti rescued eight students from the rubble of a flattened university building in Port au-Prince, Haiti, on Saturday (Jan. 16).[8] Deploying a six-man team, ZAKA worked for 38 hours with a Mexican military team to rescue the students.[9]
The team is comprised of observant Jews who continued with their life-saving activities over the Jewish Sabbath because Jewish law instructs that Sabbath can be broken to save a life. “With all the hell going on outside, even when things get bad, Judaism says we must take a deep breath and go on to save more people” said Commander of the ZAKA mission to Haiti Mati Goldstein in an interview with Israeli news outlet YnetNews.[10]
The Israel Forum for International Aid (IsraAid), a coordinating body of Israeli and Jewish NGOs, sent a 15-member civilian response team to Haiti. The IsraAid team includes doctors, nurses, paramedics and logisticians to Haiti and has started work in Port-au-Prince providing emergency medical assistance and distributing humanitarian supplies. The medical team has set up operations in Port-au-Prince’s main hospital while the logistical personnel remain in the airport area to set up camp and assist local NGO partners with logistical support for relief items that were continuing to land.[11]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “Given Israel’s security needs, we have accumulated much search and rescue experience over the years. We have applied this experience previously in disaster scenes throughout the world – in Mexico, Argentina, Armenia, Kenya, Turkey and elsewhere. I hope and wish that the Israeli mission will succeed, this time as well, in saving as many lives – children, parents and families – in Haiti as possible.”[12]
[1] Solomont, E.B., “Israelis race to save lives in Haiti,” The Jerusalem Post, Jan. 17, 2010, http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1263147906183&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
[2] Israel Defense Forces communiqué, Jan. 16, 2010
[3] Israel Defense Forces communiqué, Jan. 16, 2010; “IDF to Establish Field Hospital in Haiti,” website of the Israel Defense Forces, Jan. 13, 2010, http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/01/1301.htm
[4] Israel Defense Forces communiqué, Jan. 16, 2010; “Israeli aid arrives in Haiti, field hospital set up,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jan. 17, 2010, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Israel+beyond+politics/Israeli_aid_arrives_Haiti_17-Jan-2010.htm
[5] “IDF to Establish Field Hospital in Haiti,” website of the Israel Defense Forces, Jan. 13, 2010, http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/01/1301.htm
[6] “First Man Rescued by Israeli Forces in Haiti,” website of the Israel Defense Forces, Jan. 17, 2010, http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/01/1701.htm
[7] “First Man Rescued by Israeli Forces in Haiti,” website of the Israel Defense Forces, Jan. 17, 2010, http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/01/1701.htm; Mozgovaya, Natasha, “Life amid death: Baby born in Israeli field hospital in Haiti” Haaretz, Jan. 17, 2010, http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1143165.html
[8] “Shabbat In Hell,” website of Zaka, Jan. 16, 2010, http://www.zaka.us/news.asp?AID=138
[9] “Shabbat In Hell,” website of Zaka, Jan. 16, 2010, http://www.zaka.us/news.asp?AID=138
[10] Levy, Amit, “ZAKA mission to Haiti ‘proudly desecrating Shabbat’,” YnetNews, Jan. 17, 2010, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3835327,00.html
[11] “IsraAID Launches Relief Efforts for Victims of Haiti Earthquake,” website of IsraAid, Jan. 15, 2010, http://www.israaid.org.il/story_page.asp?id=1257; IsraAid communiqué, Jan. 17, 2010
[12] “Israeli search and rescue delegation departs to Haiti,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jan. 14, 2010, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2010/Israeli_rescue_delegation_Haiti_13-Jan-2010.htm
