Israel is stepping up its assistance to Japan by establishing the first field hospital set up by an outside country in order to provide assistance following the recent earthquake and tsunami.

The medical facility is located in the city of Minamisanriku, 310 miles north of Tokyo, and will be staffed by about 50 Israel Defense Forces physicians.

Additionally, Israel is sending aid, ranging from blankets and coats to chemical toilets, to the roughly 500,000 people left homeless by the disaster.