The Indian
Ocean 'tsunami':
Israel's disaster relief efforts |
Published: 3 January 2005
Briefing Number 125
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Summary:
This Briefing describes Israeli disaster relief efforts
following the calamitous Indian Ocean ‘tsunamis’
of 26 December 2004. |
On 26 December 2004, a massive undersea earthquake occurred
in the Eastern Indian Ocean, off the Indonesian coast. The quake
triggered giant waves (‘tsunamis’) which struck
coastal areas in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India and other
countries, as well as Indian Ocean islands, with devastating
force.
Over 140,000 people were killed, with thousands more missing.
Communities and towns were wiped out. Millions were left homeless
and threatened by disease and hunger, prompting a huge humanitarian
relief operation. This Briefing describes Israel’s disaster
relief efforts following these events. (Sources: agency reports,
Jerusalem Post, Israel’s Foreign Ministry website)
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Massive airlift of emergency supplies
within 48 hours: Israel’s Defence Ministry
sent a plane to Sri Lanka loaded with 80 tons of emergency
supplies, together with a team of 50 Israeli medical and rescue
personnel, within 48 hours of the disaster. The supplies included
tens of thousands of bottles of drinking water, 12 tons of
food, 17 tons of baby food, nine tons of medicines, blankets,
mattresses, beds and electricity generators.
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Top class Israeli medical team
flies out: A top level medical team from Israel’s
internationally renowned Hadassah hospital arrived in Sri
Lanka on 27 December, including the hospital’s head
of general surgery, the head of its trauma unit, its chief
of pediatrics, and two anaesthetists
- Israeli voluntary organisation Latet despatches supplies:
On 28 December, the Israeli voluntary organisation Latet (“to
give”) filled a jumbo jet with 18 tons of supplies contributed
by the public. An Israeli company donated 250,000 water purification
tablets, to help provide tsunami survivors with safe drinking
water.
- Magen David Adom sends medicines for treating the seriously
injured: On 29 December, Israel’s equivalent to
the Red Cross, Magen David Adom, donated a planeload of medicines
to Sri Lanka for the treatment of seriously injured tsunami victims,
and those suffering malnourishment
- Rescue team sent to Thailand: An Israeli Health
Ministry team of doctors and nurses was sent to Thailand to aid
rescue efforts
- Search and rescue team offered to India: Israel
offered a search-and-rescue team to India, together with consignments
of food and medicine.
- International fund-raising efforts: Several
Israeli and diaspora Jewish organisations launched emergency appeals
for funds to aid longer term relief and reconstruction
Note: Sri Lanka declines Israeli offer of a fully staffed
field hospital: Sri Lanka’s government turned
down an offer from Israel to provide a fully staffed and equipped
150-person military field hospital. The plan was called off
hours before the plane was due to take off from Israel. Sri
Lanka claimed that the decision was taken because it “had
enough medical personnel” and nurses and “what it
needed were supplies”.
Our conclusion: Israel’s citizens yearn
to be fully accepted among the family of nations. Israel has
often been one of the quickest to respond to third world disasters,
with practical and expert help. Recent examples include Colombia,
Honduras and Georgia.... and now the Indian Ocean catastrophe.
Israel’s efforts remain virtually unreported around the
world. Could it be that for some journalists and critics, such
reports would convey a humane and charitable side to Israel,
which runs counter to the negative images which underlie so
much media coverage of the country?
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