The Jewish World Contributes to Haiti

from The Jewish Federations of North America:

Since the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti last week, the Jewish Federation movement has raised millions of dollars to aid the victims and is convening our partners to ensure relief is delivered effectively.

Together, Jewish Federations have raised nearly $2.2 million for emergency aid, with funds continuing to arrive. The Jewish Federations of North America is working with the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief to monitor allocations and ensure Jewish organizations operate strategically and effectively. The coalition is also allocating funding for two shipments of emergency food and medical supplies.

The Jewish Federations of North America and many Federations are sending donations to our overseas partner, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). JDC has also raised $1.5 million in addition to the Federation aid, and is working to provide emergency relief efforts. Among these efforts:

• Within days of the disaster, the JDC-supported relief agency Heart to Heart International and its doctors and nurses were on the ground providing critical medical aid;
• The Medical Corps of the Israel Defense Forces, another JDC partner, is operating a field hospital in Port-au-Prince that is saving lives and administering vital medical care. JDC helped equip the hospital with high-demand orthopedic devices and infant incubators for its neonatal unit. This effort has been widely reported in the news, including on CNN, Fox News, and Israel’s Channel 2;
• Working in collaboration with the Afya Foundation, JDC sent much-needed medical supplies to Zanmi Lasante/Partners in Health;
• JDC is supporting EcoWorks International, which has established a feeding program;
• JDC is coordinating with the White House, the State Department, USAID, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Israeli relief agencies, the United Nations, and the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief.

JDC’s Federation-supported work and impact will be felt long after images of the devastation disappear from the news. JDC will allocate some funds for intermediate and long-term rebuilding and reconstruction programs in Haiti. The goal is to achieve sustainable improvements in health, education, and employment.

Federations are also contributing to IsraAID, a coalition of Israeli and Jewish organizations that coordinates emergency response and relief efforts worldwide; to the Israeli volunteer rescue organization ZAKA; and to the American Jewish World Service (AJWS). IsraAID and ZAKA volunteers, working with IDF units, have rescued at least a dozen people from the rubble. Meanwhile, AJWS partners on the ground are working in cities such as Jacmel, about 100 miles southeast of Port-au-Prince, where the earthquake destroyed 40 percent of homes. AJWS is sending money to these organizations for food, shelter and medical supplies.

from TotallyJewish.com (U.K.):

More than £180,000 has been donated by UK Jewry towards World Jewish Relief’s appeal for Haiti.

… Zionist youth movements have partnered with Israel-based humanitarian organisation Latet for an emergency appeal, which aims to raise funds for medication and relief equipment. An initiative of World Bnei Akiva… has raised a staggering £70,000 in its first 24 hours, with a significant proportion emanating from the UK.

London-based World ORT has launched an appeal to help with the rebuilding of Haiti’s educational system. A spokesman said: “Through its International Cooperation division, World ORT has extensive experience in post-crisis countries. ORT is planning to work directly with both government structures and local and international NGOs to provide technical and expert assistance.”

For more on the IDF’s role in Haiti, see our post from yesterday, The IDF Hospital, Most Advanced in Haiti.