Israel Flying Aid Team Members

According to a spokesman for Unicef, Kent Page, “There are health concerns, malnutrition concerns, psychosocial issues and, of course, we are concerned that unaccompanied children will be exploited by unscrupulous people who may wish to traffic them for adoption, for the sex trade, or for domestic servitude.”

With 90 percent of the schools in Port-au-Prince damaged or destroyed, homes demolished, parents missing, the children have no place to go. Playing amongst the rotting rubble or sleeping in makeshift tents, the children are vulnerable.

During the destruction of the national penitentiary and other jails, 4,400 prisoners escaped. They’re roaming and hiding out in the same streets as the children.

I repeat, the children are not safe.

The Israel Flying Aid is in Haiti doing what they can to supply the immediate and long term needs of some of those children. They are joining 20 nuns in providing a fully equipped orphanage.

One of the members of the team, Sima Simon, describes the conditions in Port-au-Prince and how the team is helping. Following are edited excerpts:

Arrival in Haiti

After almost 3 days of traveling we are here! We arrived at the Israeli Hospital in, Port-au-Prince, last night. Our local contacts in Dominican Republic, Limor and Ophir, were waiting for us.

We began our first day in Domican Republic organizing before the last leg of our trip. We wanted to be sure we would arrive in Haiti well equipped for 2 weeks with food, water, transportation, gas, oil, medical supplies, etc.
We arrived at the Israeli base last night, joining them in welcoming  Shabbat on Friday evening. Then it hit me straight and with such accuracy: I’m reminded about the strength of our people and the great little country of ours.

I had my first heart breaking personal moment yesterday after visiting the little kids who had been brought here by their parents. A few of them were laying on their beds sleeping, with no one next to them, while others were being hugged by their moms or dads.

The only face I saw was the face of my little Mariano in his first year of  life. We knew he had a difficult time during this period. They were not taking care off him and he was not well fed, but mostly he was lonely, very lonely.

It was the first time I understood the difference between “mind understanding” and “heart understanding”.

One day – We already changed the world!

Yesterday was tough! It was our first day in Haiti, trying to understand how we can help these people. It took us 3 full tiring days to arrive here only to walk around all day and understand – How the hell we will start? With whom? With what? Whatever we do it will not be enough!

By the end of the day we divided ourselves in two groups:

First group  – our mission was to arrange a movie for the girls’ orphanage. We had all the equipment but the movies we brought from home were not good! So we drove around the streets trying to find some movies in the middle of chaos. Can you imagine how stupid we felt, walking around looking for movies? Needless to say – we did not manage to find any. Our mission failed!

Second group – their mission was to continue with our goal of trying to find a long term project that would answer a critical need. After gathering some intelligence from the streets and making their way through destroyed roads, they managed to reach one of the addresses they had been given. Unlike us, they succeeded!

We met back in the Israeli base. My group was feeling down, but the second group was excited, telling us their story.

Israel Flying Aid arranging supplies

They arrived at an “Orphelina” – an orphanage for girls. It belongs to a church and is managed by a group of nuns. Their modest building survived the earthquake almost unharmed. As the group stepped inside the gate they heard the voices of angels singing. It was the voices of the nuns. They were immediately surrounded by a group of girls, 1-14 years of age. It was dark, but they managed to see that the nuns were making the best of the very little they had. After a short exploration, they knew: “This is why we came here, this is what we were looking for, this is where we can make a difference!”

We all woke up the following morning excited. Linoy, our “one and only” pediatric nurse, joined the hospital staff. Shuli, Dudi and Hamutal – our amazing medical clowns, went to their holy mission of making children laugh in the hospital and out in the streets while our IDF soldiers are building water towers for the locals.

Escorted by an IDF delegation officer, the rest of us made our way to the orphanage .

In a few short hours we accomplished:

• Short assessment of urgent needs
• Put in place a plan and divided into “mission groups”
• Arranged for the IDF to bring the delegation’s engineer for a safety check of the building
• 1st group – lead by Limor – stayed with the nuns and the girls, helping them and playing with them
• 2nd group – lead by Chaim – found a local contractor and put in place a group of workers to clean the land and work on the infrastructure
• 3nd group – lead by us – went to do some food shopping at the local Sunday market

How can I put in words the experience we had?

Haim Beker, 65 year old COO of Orange Telecommunications, Israel, cleared the land and managed to put in place an infrastructure for tomorrow in order to provide running water for the girls and nuns.

Watching David Avner, CEO of Orange Telecommunications, Israel , carry some 50 kilo bags of rice on his back, loading the trucks with food for the girls and working hand in hand with us, was truly a strong moment for me.

After unloading all the food in the orphanage, making sure the nuns had all they need to make the girls and themselves a good meal, we left to make arrangements for the following day.
Third Day in Haiti

I managed to fall on my face while trying to walk quickly between the tents. Not a good idea, I missed one rope and suffered a strong hit in my chin and jaw. Luckily we have lots of doctors around. I am ok, but very tired and in severe pain…

Yesterday we arrived back at the base with a list of things that needed to be done for the “Orphelina” and with one of the smallest girls who looked very sick. A nun joined her and didn’t leave her side until the doctors diagnosed her with a acute pneumonia. She is still in the hospital, doing much better. The doctors told us that if we wouldn’t have brought her she probably would have died.

Did you ever had the chance to do massive shopping with no need for money? I did exactly that and it felt great because I knew what difference it would make in the lives of those girls.

We began our day early, and by 9:30 I had a truck roaming the base and collecting everything on our lists. It went like this:

GOAL

The organization provided us with:
100 mattresses
100 mosquito nets
100 blankets
5 full sets of kitchen dishes
35 jerrycans
500 bars of soap
252 toilet paper rolls

IDF provided us with:

dish soap
kitchen mops
more toilet paper
IDF medical staff provided us with:

medical equipment and medicines
diapers
baby formula and food
100 AVENT bottles

The Colombian Medical delegation provided us with a huge amount of special liquid for hydration

Albert, a local businessman gave us a huge tank of water

Haiti children with balloons and an Israeli flag

We collected all the supplies and drove to the “Orphelina”. Dr’ Amit joined us with two nurses and vaccinated all the girls and nuns. The girls were very brave and each one received a balloon.

After examining the girls, Dr’ Amit told us that most of the girls are suffering only from lack of food – a situation we can fix. One of the girls has a broken leg. and Daniella, eight years old seems to have a heart problem. We are trying to schedule an  ECCO for her tomorrow to check her heart.
The atmosphere was amazing and what was really impressive was the behavior of the nuns. Yesterday they were in shock, but today they were over the moon. It looked like they were beginning to understand that we really are planning to help them for the long run. They functioned amazingly well and did lots of singing and dancing with the kids.

I do not know what I can write  to provide you with the feelings that I have.

50 girls and 20 nuns are having a healthier and happier life thanks to our mission!
This is truly amazing
Love you all
Sima

Israel Flying Aid Clown Cheers a Haitian Child

As international search and rescue teams have finished their work and are returning home, Gal Lusky’s Israel Flying Aid is in the midst of rebuilding the lives of children in Haiti. For Gal Lutsky, it’s not enough to see that the children are alive, she wants to see them treated for post traumatic syndrome. She wants to secure a safe place for them to live, away from the violence running wild in the city streets. She wants to provide them with a home, food, and a future.

Israel Flying Aid is seeking donations from the international community to give the children a more secure future.

Following is a story released by correspondent Joel Leyden, who is in Haiti with the Israel Flying Aid.

Israel Flying Aid Humanitarian Volunteers Help Children Suffering In Haiti

Imagine children who have just lost their arms or legs. Imagine children who wash themselves in sewage water. Imagine children who are starving to the extent that their stomachs are bloated. Imagine children who sleep on the bare, cold ground surrounded by fallen ruble and cockroaches. Imagine children who fear to sleep inside their own homes.

These are the babies and young children of Haiti.

Many children walking around in a daze, suffering from PTS – post traumatic stress after being slammed to the ground by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake.

So very eager for food, water and a warm, loving hug.

Enter Israel Flying Aid.

With a small and professional humanitarian team of medical professionals led by veteran disaster relief expert Gal Lusky, they enter into a small orphanage in Port au Prince. They are greeted by 46 children and 20 nuns. Wasting no time, they distribute food, water and mattresses while doctors and nurses from both the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Flying Aid begin to examine the children.

The medical team is shocked to find them in extreme state of hunger.

To make matters even worse, they discover that about 20 other little girls, against the efforts of the nuns, had been taken from the orphanage to be sold to pedophiles by human traffickers.

The Israel Flying Aid team came into Haiti with professional medical clowns to treat the children for trauma and sexual abuse. These clowns waste no time in donning their red plastic noses and wide, white smiles, and in a matter of minutes the children are laughing.

Lusky now heads to one of the hundreds of tent cities now dotting Haiti. There she finds about a dozen local men to take back to reinforce the walls of the orphanage. As Lusky returns she shows the men where to start and then picks up one of the small children. The child she softly cradles in her arms will be taken back to Israel for an operation.

There is no electricity. As night falls, Israel Flying Aid volunteers lay on white mattresses singing to the children as kerosene lamps add a touch of light.

As the morning sun begins to rise, sounds of roosters fill the warm and humid air.
The Israel Flying Aid volunteers search for showers, but quickly realize that buckets of fresh water will suffice. It is the same water that they have brought to this starving and isolated orphanage.

The nuns begin to pray. The prayers turn into singing followed by a breakfast of macaroni noodles and coffee, which was brought by the Israeli volunteers who left the warmth and safety of their homes 7,000 miles away.

The tears and crying of the children have been replaced by smiles and laughter.
This is Israel Flying Aid.

“Israel Flying Aid’s roots are based upon Jewish tradition, religion and the pulsating heart of the Israel people,” said Gal Lusky, CEO and founder of IFA.

“IFA follows the words of the prophet Isaiah to: ‘Uphold the rights of the orphan; defend the cause of the widow’, and in doing so we do not discriminate by race, nationality or religion”.

“We urgently need funds to continue this operation and other humanitarian missions that we carry out throughout the year around the world. To help those children who are injured and / or abandoned. We have supplies for the children in Haiti for just a few more weeks, but we need additional funds which will last them throughout the year and the hurricane season.”

Today, in Tel Aviv, Israel over a 1,000 people bought tickets to take part in an Israel Flying Aid fund raising event with performances by 15 of Israel’s leading actors and artists.

IFA, which was established in 2005, has an uncompromising obligation to the victims of disaster and not to their countries, governments, militias, or military that may prevent international assistance to victims. IFA delivers aid to communities that are hostile toward Israel such as Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, Indonesia and others.

Hundreds of IFA volunteers, who leave their families on short notice and risk their lives as they are dispatched to the most remote areas of the world to help those most in need, are brave individuals who represent the heart of Israel.

Israel Flying Aid reaches out on behalf of the Jewish people in the spirit of peace, love, and compassion.

IFA is making an urgent appeal to the global public to assist in finding and treating children in Haiti by sending donations to Israel Discount Bank, branch 199, account # 57797, SWIFT IDBLILIT.

More information can be found on at  Israel4Haiti.com on Facebook.

The above news story was edited and SEO optimized by the Leyden Communications Internet Marketing, Digital PR, New Media, Crisis Communications Group on site in Haiti with sponsorship for coverage of the Haiti earthquake disaster by the Bernard Leyden Memorial Foundation, Michael Cherney Foundation and the Rochelle and Richard Maize Foundation.

Wadley Elysee flies with the IDF to Israel for heart surgery.

There are no lack of volunteers wanting to help in Israel, and it looks like they’ll have another chance. While Israel Flying Aid remains to help children suffering from earthquake devastation, the Israel Defense Forces packed up its tents, field hospital, and kitbags to head home. But the humanitarian Israeli delegation is not coming home alone.

Through Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) organization,  based in Wolfson Hospital, the medical team from Israel located a small boy, six year old Wadley Elysee, who is in urgent need of heart surgery. Without it, he will more than likely not live to see ten years. Save a Child’s Heart is a volunteer medical organization in Israel that brings  children with fatal heart abnormalities to perform complicated surgical procedures not available in their own countries.
This isn’t part of the aid and relief efforts the Israeli medical team has been providing in Haiti, but it is an event that has been carefully planned and researched for the past two months. In light of the emergency team being in Port-au-Prince, it was decided to bring Wadley, and his aunt, back to Israel with the team.

Wadley Elysee, a resident of a small Haitian village, is on an El Al flight that will arrive in Israel on Thursday. Is Wadley excited? You bet! Heart surgery aside, it’s his first time on an airplane.
Dr. Yuval Levy joined the Israel delegation to Haiti, where he was responsible for the premature baby ward at the IDF field hospital. “Two months ago they sent Wadley’s heart echo test from Haiti to us at Wolfson, and we decided that he had to be operated on,” says Dr. Yuval Levy. “But until now he could not be brought to Israel. The medical team succeeded in finding him here and we are bringing him with us to Israel. In the coming days he will undergo the surgery he needs at Wolfson.”

Suffering from several heart defects, oxygen does not circulate through Wadley’s small body effectively. He cannot go to school or live as a normal six year old. An Israeli team of surgeons will perform a complicated surgery to repair his heart. When he arrives in Israel, an ambulance will take him to Wolfson Hospital in Holon, Israel.

And the Israel Flying Aid team, remaining in Haiti, will continue rebuilding a destroyed orphanage for the suffering children of that country.

US tents replacing IDF tents in Haiti

The IDF accomplished its mission of saving lives, providing medical services, and representing the State of Israel honorably.

According to IDF Home Front Command Chief, Major General Yair Golan, “I think we met all three missions admirably. Indeed, the assistance was a drop in the bucket in the face of the immense human suffering in Haiti, yet nonetheless, we are glad that we could have offered some help, considering the difficult conditions over there.”

In addition to providing medical care to more than 750 patients, the team led by the Home Front Command aided in international rescue operations, rescuing two trapped victims themselves. Realizing the chances of finding survivors were very low, the team concentrated its efforts on providing emergency medical care.

US flag above carton from Israel.

The Israel Flying Aid team is staying behind to oversee the establishment of an orphanage for the homeless children and to provide post trauma care for the survivors. The team includes medical staff including four medical clowns.

The IDF is on its way home to a warm homecoming in Israel. Included in this post are exclusive photos taken this afternoon as they prepare to leave. Thanks to Joel Leyden, correspondent in Haiti.

Israel Defense Forces preparing to leave Port-au-Prince

Many countries are interested in adopting the tiny orphans. But there is an even greater immediate problem now – what will the survivors eat? There is very little food for them today; what will be tomorrow?  Haiti’s commercial food supply was destroyed by the earthquake and the only fruits and vegetables available are sold at inflated prices. Imported food, usually 48 percent of their food supply, has slowed down to a trickle. Barely a drop in the bucket.

“The whole food supply chain has been trashed by the earthquake,” said David Orr, a spokesman for the World Food Program. “The port, the roads, the trucks, the whole commercial life of the country has been disrupted.”

As the Israel Defense Forces pack up their tents and field hospital and pass their wounded clientele off to the remaining aid units in Haiti, Israel Flying Aid remains to continue the work. Only two days ago, according to a Twitter update from Liane Thompson, “ a little orphanage girl we (IFA and Orange) bring 2 field hospital survives massive dehydration just in time.” And yesterday, “little girl from orphanage doing great. Can go home. Most kids r malnourished. Spoke w/ top psychologist @ field hosp. Next concern is PTSD (post trauma syndrome).”

While Israel Flying Aid remains in the city to aid the children, they’re sending back a grim picture of what’s left of the city, the people, and their hopes for the future. Following is the latest story coming out of Haiti from Joel Leyden:

Israel Defense Forces medical teams and the humanitarian relief delegation of Israel Flying Aid at the IDF Field Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, were awakened this morning by two new aftershocks that rocked Haiti exactly two weeks after a massive earthquake left up to 300,000 dead.

Normally it would be the sound of roosters, loud IDF public announcements and the roar of helicopters soaring over the camp that would open the our sleepy and tired eyes.

As the Israel Defense Forces continued to care for and transfer the critically injured to other hospitals, they slowly began to pack their supplies and take down their green tents. The IDF had arrived within 3 days of the earthquake and within 8 hours were operating on patients.

But contrary to press reports that Israel is leaving this Caribbean nation, Israel Flying Aid announced that it plans to move its humanitarian relief tent camp to a nearby orphanage.

Yesterday, Israel Flying Aid and the Israel Defense Forces visited an orphanage in Haiti where they examined 50 children who were suffering from severe malnutrition. Many of the children had bloated stomachs, something that Jews had not seen since the Holocaust.

An IDF Lt. Colonel and three nurses began to vaccinate the children, while professional clowns that came to Haiti by Israel Flying Aid, provided the children with treatment for trauma.

The children quickly grabbed and ate the fish, rice, beans and fresh milk that IFA brought them – food they had not seen for almost two weeks.

Israel Flying Aid and Orange Israel Telecommunications announced they plan to aid humanitarian efforts in Haiti by building an orphanage that will immediately accommodate 70 children. This will be the first of three stages of establishing an orphanage that will absorb more than 200 children in Haiti.

The orphanage will be staffed by volunteers from both Haiti and Israel . The volunteers, working in cooperation 20 nuns, will provide primary medical care, educational, social services, nutrition and post trauma treatment.

“Israel Flying Aid is based on the Jewish principles of the prophet Isaiah, ‘To uphold the rights of the orphan; defend the cause of the widow,’ and in doing so we do not discriminate by race, nationality or religion,” said Gal Lusky, CEO and founder of Israel Flying Aid.

“We urgently need funds to continue this operation and other international humanitarian missions that we carry out throughout the year, and to help those children who were injured or abandoned. We have supplies for the children in Haiti for a few more weeks, but we need additional funds that will last them throughout the year and during the hurricane season.”

Israel Flying Aid, which was established in 2005, has an uncompromising obligation to the victims of disaster and not to their countries, governments, militias, or military that may prevent international assistance to victims. IFA delivers aid to communities that are hostile towards Israel, such as Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan, Indonesia and others.

Hundreds of IFA volunteers, who leave their families on short notice and risk their lives as they are dispatched to the most remote areas of the world, are brave individuals who represent the heart of Israel.

Israel Flying Aid reaches out on behalf of the Jewish people in the spirit of peace, love, and compassion.

IFA is placing an urgent appeal to the global public to assist in finding and treating children in Haiti by sending donations to Israel Discount Bank, branch 199, account # 57797, SWIFT ID: BLILIT.

More information on Israel Flying Aid’s mission in Haiti can be found at: http://israelflyingaidhaitinews.wordpress.com/

One of those workers who left her family behind in Israel to join the team effort is Sima Simon.

Following is Sima’s first-hand report of the work they’re doing:
By Sima Simon
Part 1 of a first-hand account of the Israel Flying Aid Delegation to Haiti

Yesterday was tough! It was our first day in Haiti, trying to understand how we can help these people. It took us three full, tiring days to arrive here – only to walk around all day and not know how the hell to start? With whom? With what?

The feeling was whatever we will do will not be enough

We split up to find a long-term project which would answer a critical need. After collecting some intelligence from the streets and making our way through destroyed roads, some of the team arrived at “Orphelina” – orphanage house for girls. The house belongs to the church and is run by a group of nuns. The modest and unfinished building managed to survive the earthquake almost unharmed. When the group walked inside the gate, they heard the voice of angels singing. It was the sound of the nuns’ voice. They were surrounded by a group of girls, 1-14, years of age. It was dark, but they managed to see that they are making the best of the so little that they have.

This is why we came here; this is what we were looking for; this is where we can make a difference.

We woke up this morning all excited: Linoy – our one and only children’s nurse joined the hospital staff, while Shuli, Dudi and Hamutal – our amazing medical clowns – went to do their holy mission of making children laugh here in the hospital area and out in the streets while our IDF soldiers are building water towers for the locals.

The rest of us made our way to the orphanage escorted by the IDF delegation officer.

This was at 7:30 in the morning.
Since then, we have managed to:

• Do a short assessment of what needs to be done urgently.
• Put in place a fast plan divided to “mission groups”.
• IDF – in charge of bringing the delegation engineer for a safety check of the building
• 1st group – led by Limor – staying with the nuns and the girls, helping them and playing with them
• 2nd group – led by Chaim – finding a local contractor and putting in place a group of workers who will start to clean the land next door and work on the infrastructure.
• 3nd group – led by us – going to do some food shopping the local Sunday market

How can I put in words the experience we had?

Haim Beker, Orange Israel, COO who is 65 years old cleared up the land and managed to put in place an infrastructure for tomorrow in order to get running water for the orphanage.

Limor, our local contact from the Dominican Republic reached the heart of every child in the orphanage. The girls played with the tons of toys and goods “Mama Yokero” and Toy R Us donated to our delegation with hardly any previous notice.

Watching David Avner, Orange Israel CEO, carrying 50 kilos sacks of rice on his back, loading the trucks with food for the girls and working hand in hand with us, was truly a strong moment for me.

After unloading all the food in back in the orphanage, and making sure the nuns have all they need in order to make the girls and for them good meal we left in order to make all arrangements for tomorrow.

Thank you, Sima, for giving us a window through which we can see and be a part of what Israel Flying Aid is doing in Haiti. Keep up the good work, and give those kids a hug from all of us all over the world!

Israel Flying Aid volunteer with Haitian baby in IDF field hospital, Port-au-Prince

David Avner, CEO of Orange, Israel (Partner Communications Company Ltd), and Chaim Beker, also of Orange Israel, traveled to Haiti with Israel Flying Aid and are at this time assessing the needs of the children from a different angle. Out in the field, they are looking for the best location to build a safe house for the children. They are hoping to collect needed funds from Israeli companies and businesses to build an orphanage to house the homeless children – to get them off the streets and out of the violence that’s ruling Port-au-Prince since the earthquake struck, destroying or weakening that city’s buildings and it’s inhabitants.

Israel has many humanitarian aid teams and volunteers working in Haiti, as well as the IDF. While the official word is to pack up and return home one day this week, there is yet another line of aid being discussed among Israel’s government officials.

As reported by Ynet, Welfare and Social Services Minister Isaac Herzog has ordered officials to look into the possibility of adopting dozens of orphaned Haitian children. Herzog said: “The orphaned children in Haiti are a grave humanitarian issue. I ordered an examination into the possibility of adopting orphans in Israel in line with international and Israeli law, in order to offer help in the face of this terrible distress.”

“We won’t act rashly, but rather, in a level-headed manner, so that this process will indeed help the children and offer even a little comfort in terrible human distress encountered by Haiti’s residents in the wake of the major earthquake,” the minister said.

Israel is well known in the world for the humanitarian way she quietly takes in the poor and suffering from around the world. One only needs to think back to the 1970s when refugee children were rescued from war-torn Vietnam and offered refuge and the chance for a new lives in Israel.

As 41-year old Bah Xuan recalls, “There were 66 of us on board. We escaped to the unknown. While sailing they came across an Israeli ZIM ship whose sailors provided the refugees with food and water. “At first we weren’t allowed on board. After contact was made with then Prime Minister Menachem Begin, he decided as a gesture to grant us political asylum.”

Several hours later the brothers were on a plane on their way to Israel where they received an absorption basket, recognition as immigrants and eventually Israeli citizenship.

In even more recent history, many victims of violence in Darfur and the surrounding areas found refuge in Israel. Walking and running for days, they entered Egypt and then found their way to safety in Israel. Private citizens of Israel, the author of this post included, took refugee families into their homes until they could get on their feet and make new lives for themselves.

Was it easy? No. The families that stayed in my home did not speak English. So how did that work out? They taught us Arabic! The months that they stayed with us were precious as Israel proved to be a safe-haven where they could rebuild their destroyed lives. They are hard workers and have strengthened our country in many ways.

Is it possible that those responsible for the slander published in the Goldstone Report could open their eyes and see the true face of Israel? The IDF has been mentioned as being the most humanitarian army in the world, the Israeli government takes unprecedented risks in aiding the weakest citizens of the world, and as private individuals, we support and applaud those efforts.

Israel Flying Aid Medical Clown Entertains Wounded Children in Haiti

The Israel Flying Aid clowns and medical staff spent their first full day in Port-au-Prince on Saturday. Not trusting anyone with their valuable medical equipment and supplies, they carried it all with them from Israel. Large kitbags filled not with personal items, but with medical supplies and toys for the children.

They set up their base camp and then forged their way into the center of the devastation to find orphans and widows  in need of aid. The medical team went to the IDF field hospital to care for the wounded, and the professional post trauma team of medical clowns sought out hurting children. Not only physically hurt children, but those suffering from the traumatic situation they find themselves in.

These children are on the streets. Some of them are wounded physically, but even more serious is the emotional damage they are incurring every day. The streets in Port-au-Prince are violent. Gangs are looting, stealing, assaulting whomever they can find. These children don’t know where their families are, they have no homes to return to, and many of them are left without parents. The wounded children are being taken to the medical tents, but no one is caring for the homeless and helpless children. Until now, all efforts have been focused on pulling survivors out of the rubble.

And let’s face it. Finding and rescuing an 84 year old woman gets a whole lot more media attention than taking care of the city’s hurting children.

Two news correspondents from Israel are in Port-au-Prince with Israel Flying Aid. Liane Thompson describes their first day in the city, “Back from a long day of filming the city destruction, collapsed palace, orphanages and clowns. people hungry … but at the same time life is coming back. “

According to Joel Leyden, “Total devastation … as if Haiti was flattened by a nuclear bomb. For those who survived, living in tents in parks or on the sidewalk. Appears that very little aid has arrived.”
One day down, twelve to go. Our hats are off to the Israel Flying Aid team and their families.

Passing the Border

Once on the other side, the rest of their journey to Port-au-Prince was on a small dirt road. As I was updated throughout the journey, the descriptions were difficult to comprehend. They were in the middle of nowhere, with mountains all around. But these weren’t normal mountains. They had been split in two, with half of the mountain just “falling off”, as they were described to me. The exposed part of the mountains were totally white.

Dusk in Haiti

It was getting dark and the crew still had 4 hours of making their way on an unpredictable road ahead of them. The road wasn’t really a road, it was more like driving through a canyon. They were beginning to witness first hand signs of the destruction they were driving into. As they mentioned the weather being hot and humid, I reminded them that now would be a good time to apply mosquito repellent. After receiving a “goodnight from Haiti”, it will be tomorrow before I check in on the team.

For now, here is the first article coming from Joel Leyden, Senior Spokesman for Israel Flying Aid:

Israel Flying Aid arrived in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic yesterday after a grueling 14 hour flight from Tel Aviv, Israel.

Israeli Flying Aid (IFA) http://www.ifaid.com is Israel’s most respected nonprofit, volunteer-based, non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides humanitarian life saving aid and relief to communities in areas stricken by natural disaster or territorial conflicts.

“Our flight could be described as a voyage of heroes as search, rescue and medical teams from South Africa, Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Finland, Canada, Austria, Israel and several other nations met one another and coordinated joint actions for Haiti,” said IFA director Gal Lutsky.

Lutsky said that the 25-member Israel Flying Aid delegation consists of medical professionals who practice in several disciplines and Israel’s first professional PR consultants who will be on site to describe Israel Flying Aid, the IDF and the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs humanitarian role in Haiti.

“The situation in Haiti is going from bad to worse,” said IFA senior international spokesperson Joel Leyden. “The UN has confirmed the death toll has risen from a staggering 200,000 to more than 600,000 people. As the Israel Defense Forces have established the only advanced operating field hospital in Haiti, the IFA has arrived with the explicit purpose to treat children for severe trauma and rape. Our team is now trying to adjust emotionally to being exposed to the sight of hundreds of dead bodies and crying children who have become orphans overnight. It is a very sad situation, but our professional and creative team is here to make these kids smile and provide them with immediate and future security.

Leyden said the Israel Flying Aid convoy will set out for Haiti early tomorrow morning with a very strong security detail to make assessments and consult with the IDF, Israel MFA and other governmental and NGO entities.

Israel Flying Aid specializes in transferring emergency lifesaving aid to populations in disaster areas, and in particular nations in which the IFA presence is especially significant:

Best of all, as the world struggles to blame Israel for every act of human rights abuse it can think of, we’re proving them wrong. Not in a court of law, not in Geneva, but on the ground. This time in a place where everyone can see.

Read on:

Thursday, January 21, 2010

IDF Soldier’s Eyewitness Account In Haiti