Israel to Send Afghanistan Medical Supplies After Devastating Quake

Israel to Send Afghanistan Medical Supplies After Devastating Quake

IsraAID will help distribute essential medical and relief supplies, such as bandages, sterile syringes, gauze, suture kits, tourniquets, painkillers and antibiotics.

By Abigail Klein Leichman, Israel21c

The non-governmental Israeli aid organization IsraAID is launching a humanitarian response to the earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on June 22, killing more than 1,000 people, injuring at least 2,000 and damaging thousands of homes.

IsraAID will work with local partners to assess the needs of the affected population and distribute essential medical and relief supplies, such as bandages, sterile syringes, gauze, suture kits, tourniquets, painkillers and antibiotics.

“At IsraAID, we are committed to responding to humanitarian crises worldwide, wherever they occur, and building lasting relationships with affected communities,” said IsraAID CEO Yotam Polizer.

“Through the evacuation of vulnerable Afghan nationals last year and our ongoing work in Albania with Afghan refugees, we have gotten to know amazing Afghan people and communities. In the face of this devastating earthquake, we reaffirm our long-term commitment to help them rebuild their lives. We have been inspired by their resilience and strength and are proud to stand by and partner with them as they face another difficult time,” he said.

The magnitude 6.1 earthquake severely impacted Paktika and Khost provinces and was felt in neighboring areas including Kabul and Islamabad, Pakistan, and as far as India. The number of casualties is expected to rise as search-and-rescue operations continue.

In September and October of 2021, IsraAID coordinated the evacuation of 167 Afghan nationals to Albania and the United Arab Emirates, after a collaborative effort from governments, aid organizations, activists and donors. IsraAID then established a mission in Albania to provide ongoing assistance to the more than 1,000 Afghan refugees in the country.

The vast majority of the 167 Afghan refugees that IsraAID helped evacuate have been resettled in third countries, including Canada, France and Switzerland.