Germany Makes Donation To Trauma Victims

Germany has given financial assistance for psychological care for  residents of the Israeli south traumatized by the weeks of rocket fire from Gaza, The Jerusalem Post reported on Wednesday.

Deputy German ambassador Benedikt Haller gave NATAL, the Israel Trauma Center for Victims of Terror and War, a check for NIS 235,000 ($65,900) on Wednesday on behalf of the German government. The money is to be used for psychological help to civilians — primarily children and youth — in communities near the Gaza border who must cope with shock and anxiety as a result of exposure to the rocket attacks.

“With this support,” the embassy said in a statement, “the German embassy wants to express its solidarity with Israeli citizens suffering from unending attacks from the Gaza Strip.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with the head of Natal, Orly Gal, during an
official visit to Yerushalayim in February and was “deeply impressed” with the organization’s work, according to the statement.

During Operation Protective Edge, Natal reached out to the population under fire. Among other activities, the group’s Mobile Unit, made up of mental health professionals, has visited hundreds of homes in the south to provide psychological and emotional first aid to families and residents too afraid to leave their homes.

This article appeared in print on page 7 of the August 28th, 2014 edition of Hamodia.