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January 28, 2005
Israel's international relief efforts
At least 112 countries get help from the Jewish state, including
those that were hit by the tsunami last month.
PAT JOHNSON
Stories that make the international news, including the refusal
by some Muslim countries to accept disaster aid from the Jewish
state, overlook the immense amount of aid work being performed by
Israeli agencies.
That was the message brought to Vancouver recently by four individuals
who represent Israeli international aid groups. The rejection of
Israeli aid tends to come in the early days of a disaster, such
as the earthquake in Bam, Iran, a year ago and the tsunami last
month. As the immediate mayhem subsided after both incidents, barriers
to Israeli aid were removed, said Rachel Lasry, a native of Toronto
who now lives in Israeli and is the international program director
for Ve'ahavta, the Canadian Jewish Humanitarian and Relief Committee.
Lasry was one of four individuals who are part of a cross-Canada
speaking tour this month. They addressed a small group of students
at the University of British Columbia Jan. 17.
"Israel, since its beginning, always promoted international
development," said Lasry, noting that the tsunami has led to
a massive outpouring of assistance by Israeli government and nongovernmental
organizations.
"It's tremendous the amount of energy that Israelis are putting
into this catastrophe."
Lasry's husband, Shachar Zahavi, is the founder and co-ordinator
of
IsraAID, an umbrella agency that co-ordinates international relief
work for 35 Israeli organizations and which organized the Canadian
trip (although Zahavi was not on the tour).
Galit Cohen, head of projects for MaAfrika Tikkun, spoke of the
extensive work her nongovernmental agency is doing in southern Africa.
The Israeli agency provides education for children, kindergartens
where none would otherwise exist, community centres in the most
destitute neighborhoods, urgent disaster relief and support for
people with HIV/AIDS and the children orphaned by the disease. About
25 per cent of South Africans are HIV-positive, according to official
figures, though Cohen suspects the actual proportions are higher.
About 40 million children in southern Africa have been orphaned
by AIDS – child-headed households are a common occurrence and
many grandparents are doing all they can to raise their orphaned
grandchildren. Among the seemingly simple projects MaAfrika Tikkun
has implemented is one in which children play on a merry-go-round
that pumps fresh water to their village. MaAfrika Tikkun also teaches
adults how to sew, cook and use computers, provides day care for
the elderly, physiotherapy, agricultural assistance and occupational
therapy.
"It's very, very small help, but it makes a huge difference,"
said Cohen.
Dr. Akiva Tamir, chief pediatric cardiologist with the agency Save
a Child's Heart, spoke of the number of children his agency has
saved through life-giving heart surgery. Between 1996 and 2004,
his organization flew in 1,053 children from 23 countries to have
heart surgery in Israel's state-of-the-art facilities, in addition
to 120 children who were operated on overseas. The Palestinian Authority
was the origin of the largest number of patients, at 387, followed
by Ethiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania.
"We don't differ skin from skin," said Tamir. "Skin
color means nothing to us."
Gal Schwartz, manager of corporate social responsibility for the
Israeli company Netafim, described how Israeli companies do overseas
aid work alongside nongovernmental organizations. His company, which
is owned by three kibbutim, specializes in irrigation, water treatment
and agricultural advancement. Operating in 112 countries, Netafim
improves the effectiveness of available water by providing simple
irrigation strategies that water plants, reducing the amount of
water wasted on the surrounding soil. Netafim also treats waste
water for use in agriculture and teaches about modern agricultural
techniques.
In addition to the work Netafim does overseas, it also operates
with extensive checks and balances that ensure ethical standards,
equal opportunity, environmental and social accountability and sustainable
development, said Schwartz. A central tenet of the corporate agenda
is "spreading the word," he added, in order to make more
people in Israel and abroad aware of the work that can be done effectively
and with respect for human and environmental standards.
Pat Johnson is a B.C. journalist and commentator.
North American aid
The Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) has raised more than
$7.3 million US in contributions from more than 25,000 individual
donors and local Jewish federation partners for South Asia tsunami
relief.
Of the monies raised, a portion has been set aside for long-term
infrastructure reconstruction, such as rebuilding schools, clinics
and orphanages. More than $550,000 has been designated to support
immediate relief efforts in the field. Significant additional allocations
will be made for relief once needs assessments are concluded.
Current efforts include partnership with the Disaster Mitigation
Institute in India to help people re-establish their livelihoods
and rebuild homes; a partnership with Catholic Relief (Caritas)
in the hard-hit areas to provide household supplies, temporary shelter
and psychosocial services to 2,000 families and 15,000 individuals;
a partnership with the International Rescue Committee in Indonesia,
which is focusing on identifying and protecting separated and/or
vulnerable children; a partnership with Chabad in Thailand, which
is helping with the identification of bodies, distribution of materials
and staffing of medical centres; and an assessment team in the field
in Sri Lanka to determine emergency relief efforts in need of support
and identifying possible partners.
"We are already seeing the support from our donors making a
difference in the field," said Ellen Heller, president of JDC.
"Hundreds of thousands of people in South Asia will continue
to need JDC's assistance for months to come, and we intend to deliver
it."
More than $1.5 million of the total sum JDC has raised comes through
UJA-Federation of New York's tsunami relief efforts.
"We are gratified by the generosity demonstrated by the New
York Jewish community, resulting in more than $1 million to UJA-Federation's
Tsunami Relief Fund," said Morris W. Offit, president, UJA-Federation
of New York.
"We are pleased to transmit these funds to our international
agency partner, the JDC, which is co-ordinating the North American
Jewish community's response and is working with our partners on
the ground in these devastated countries to make sure that crucial
life-saving services reach survivors in the most efficient and compassionate
manner."
Additionally, JDC is chairing the 35-member Jewish Coalition for
Asia Tsunami Relief, which was formed to integrate Jewish response
by pooling resources and manpower, sharing information and preventing
the duplication of efforts.
For the latest situation report and more detailed information, as
well as an overview of JDCs historical role in non-sectarian and
disaster relief, see www.jdc.org.
Locally, funds are being collected for the JDC effort, and that
of several other charities, by the Jewish Community Centre of Greater
Vancouver. Donations can be sent to Attn: Marissa Sidel, 950 West
41st Ave., Vancouver, B.C., V5Z 2N7, or dropped off in person at
the JCC reception desk. Call 604-257-5111, ext. 307, for more information.
– Courtesy of the Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
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