A group of Israelis from IsraAID, a coordinating body of Jewish organizations worldwide and non-governmental organizations based in Israel, arrived in Sri Lanka late Monday night to set up a relief camp, as part of the Israel Campaign For Southeast Asia Disaster.

In a telephone conversation from Sri Lanka, Gal Lousky, an IsraAID coordinator, told The Jerusalem Post that the current efforts in southeast Asia are part and parcel of the group's activities in humanitarian relief work and concern about global issues.

Members of IsraAID's 15-person team are identifiable by their t-shirts adorned with the words "Israel Relief Force." The shirts have attracted a good deal of positive attention from local Sri Lankans, who have rushed to volunteer their services, Lousky said.

The group's plan involves three main components: a field kitchen manned by local cooks, a field infirmary, and an area for orphaned and lost children to receive the care and attention they need, according to Shachar Zahavi, the founder and coordinator of IsraAid.

Lousky said the group's concept is unique, as no other organization in Sri Lanka is involved in executing all of the aspects of relief effort alone. IsraAID is collecting donations, sending people, and cooking food all by itself.

She said that the efforts will focus mainly on the children's welfare, and getting 5,000 people fed per day.

The funding for the campaign is being provided by Israelis, and European and American Jewish communities.

Lousky said that the group has been receiving immeasurable amounts of help in Sri Lanka, too.

One local group, Lanka Internet, has provided the IsraAid squad with communications and navigation needs, including liaisons to the Sri Lankan government and Sri Lankan cell phones.

The company Air Water donated to the Israeli team three machines that extract drinking water from humid air, providing 17 liters per day.

In addition, Aitken Spence, a hotel chain and tourism group in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, was able to get IsraAID's cargo through customs and onto trucks to the camp's site. Lousky emphasized the impossibility of maneuvering such quantities of supplies without Aitken Spence's help.

The Sri Lankan government has promised to visit the Israeli camp and send photographers, as it is appreciative of the tri-branched effort, which is entirely novel to them.

The government is frantically trying to recover from its over 30,000 tsunami victims. It is also still searching for the more than 6,000 missing Sri Lankans, while trying to help the 15,000 injured and the newly homeless population of 483,000.

When asked why the relief team decided to travel specifically to Sri Lanka and not to the other areas effected by the deadly tsunami, Lousky responded that the Thais are organized "as they should be" and therefore are not in dire need of additional assistance. She added that they are awaiting an invitation to help out in Indonesia.

The IsraAID team plans to remain in Sri Lanka as long as possible, while finances and the government allow their presence.

Donations and further information:

If you are interested in contributing to the aid campaign for victims in Southeast Asia, please consult the following information on how to direct your donation.




(source Jerusalem post website Jan. 11, 2005 )