Israel’s Government Press Office issued the following statement today:
Jan 12, 2010 – A major earthquake struck the capital of impoverished Haiti on Tuesday, toppling many buildings and burying thousands of people under the rubble. The magnitude 7.0 quake, whose epicenter was inland only 10 miles (16 km) from Port-au-Prince, sent panic-stricken people into the streets as clouds of dust and smoke from falling buildings rose into the sky.
Tens of thousands of people were left homeless and injured.
IsraAID members have been in direct contact with local partners on the ground who together will be treating the injured and offering expertise to the local government. A 12-man search-and-rescue team, which includes emergency medical staff are in the process of leaving to the field. IsraAID has turned to the Israeli public in request for donations to support the Israeli civilian aid.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and has a history of destructive natural disasters. Some 9,000 U.N. police and troops are stationed there to maintain order.
The Israeli Defense Force Issued the following statement:
An Israeli delegation including Ministry of Foreign Affairs, IDF Home Front Command and IDF Medical Corp Personnel has departed at 11:30 Israel time to the Republic of Haiti in order to examine the possibilities of offering aid following the recent earthquake.
The delegation includes engineering, medical, logistics and rescue experts from the IDF Home Front Command.
Binyamin Netanyahu issued the following statement:
PM Netanyahu Orders Aid Delegation to Haiti
(Communicated by the Prime Minister’s Media Adviser)
Following the tragic earthquake in Haiti, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today (Wednesday), 13.1.10, ordered Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry and Public Security Ministry officials to quickly consider how to render humanitarian assistance to the Caribbean nation. To this end, an advance IDF Home Front Command, IDF Medical Corps and Foreign Ministry delegation has already departed for Haiti .
Israeli Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Amos Radian has been instructed to proceed to Haiti in order to report on the situation there. The Israeli Embassy in the US has been instructed to be in contact with American aid officials in order to coordinate humanitarian assistance and rescue activities and adapt them to the needs of the affected area.
The BBC says:
The UK said it was mobilising help and was “ready to provide whatever humanitarian assistance may be required”.
Canada, Australia, France and a number of Latin American nations have also said they are mobilising their aid response.
No mention of Israel, of course.
Israel routinely is amongst the first to send aid and logistical support after natural disasters, even offering help to Iran on one occasion.
