An Israeli delegation of experts in the fields of search, rescue and medicine left on Sunday night (10 November) for the Philippines, which was struck by a natural disaster earlier today. The rescuers are part of the IDF’s Home Front Command.

A six-member advance team – four people from the IDF Home Front Command and two from the Foreign Ministry – willevaluate what is needed on the ground before Israel sends a larger mission.

The team landed in Manila at 20:00 local time and will depart for Tacloban, where they will  perform a thorough situation assessment, including an infrastructure evaluation, that will determine the best rapid response Israel can provide to the government and people of the Philippines.


Israel advance assessment team arrives in the Philippines (Photo: MFA)


Update:

A 147 member delegation is set to leave for the Philippines on Wednesday, November 13, 2013, in order to provide search, rescue, and medical services. Following assessment, it was decided to locate the medical facility in Daanbantayan, in the northern province of Cebu, which suffered the greatest damage after Tacloban.

An advanced multi-department medical facility, equipped with approximately 100 tons of humanitarian and medical supplies from Israel, will be rapidly established to provide medical care for disaster casualties, operated by IDF doctors, nurses, paramedics, pharmacists, mental health professionals, x-ray technician, and lab workers.

The delegation comprises members of the National Search and Rescue Unit of the Home Front Command headed by the unit commander, Colonel Ramtin Sabti, as well as senior doctors in the IDF Medical Corps, headed by the Vice Surgeon General of the IDF Medical Corps, Colonel Doctor Dudu Dagan.


President Shimon Peres wrote to Philippine President Benigno Aquino:

"Your Excellency,
In my name and on behalf of the people of Israel, I wish to extend out deepest condolences to the people of the Philippines affected by the shocking devastation in the trail of Typhoon Haiyan. Our hearts go out to the families who have lost their loved ones in this terrible natural disaster, and our prayers are with you and your people in this time of mourning and hardship.
We are following with much concern the horrifying effects of the storm and hope that the aid provided by the State of Israel will help ease the suffering of the people of the Philippines.
From Jerusalem, we wish you strength and fortitude."

Prime Minister Netanyahu also sent a letter to President Aquino:

"On behalf of the government and people of Israel, I extend heartfeldt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives as a result of the horrific typhoon, and I send best wishes for a speedy recovery to those who were injured.
I hope that Israel's assistance will help alleviate the suffering of those affected by this terrible disaster.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and the Filipino people at this difficult time."

Israel has frequently offered aid in the wake of disasters overseas, such as the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010 and an earthquake in Turkey in 2011.

IsraAID humanitarian organization also sent a team of seven medical professionals to Tacloban City in the storm-ravaged Philippines to provide critical health interventions in the affected region. IsraAID, too, will continue to assess needs in the field and offer aid accordingly, including trauma professionals and child protection specialists.