PRESS RELEASE

 For Immediate Release: January 18, 2010

The Israeli medical personnel of IsraAID have been operating in Port-au-Prince for the last 4 days, both within the government hospital in the city as well as outside the facility. 

The 15 members of the team have been asked by Operation Blessing, its partner on the ground, to operate in a local football stadium where over 2,000 injured people have been gathering who are in need of emergency medical aid. Upon arrival, the team was greeted by thousands of wounded people, and more started to arrive as word spread that a medical team was in place and treating people.

"The situation is horrible, there is no doctor in sight, people are hungry and wounded.  There are constant waves of injured people coming to the stadium" said Alan Schneider, a delegation member.  

Due to the growing need for assistance, IsraAID/FIRST will be sending an additional team of 12 medical and logistical staff during the coming weekend into the field to increase the ability to respond to the emergency. Medical and other urgent supplies will be purchased in the Dominican Republic and some of the items arriving from the US will be used as well. 

IsraAID's emergency response in Haiti is supported through the generous donations of The UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, the American Jewish Committee, B'nai B'rith International, The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, The Jewish Federation of Los Angeles, The Jewish Federation of Cleveland and The Jewish Federation of San Francisco, in addition to other federations in North America.

For more information please contact Shachar Zahavi at 054-5679979, or by email at szahavi@hotmail.com.