IsraAID Heads for Indonesia Disaster Area

The Israeli humanitarian aid group IsraAID is preparing to send a team of emergency responders to Indonesia, where an earthquake and tsunami killed over 1,400 people and left hundreds of thousands of survivors in urgent need of assistance, The Times of Israel reported on Thursday.

“The team will distribute vital relief items, provide mental health support to vulnerable groups and conduct an initial needs assessment to determine immediate and long-term needs, including medical care, psychological support and safe water provision,” the organization said.

The NGO has been in the forefront of numerous international relief efforts, including in the Philippines, Nepal and Japan.

The response to the Indonesian disaster on the part of the Israeli government remained unclear, however.

The Kan public broadcaster said Wednesday that Israel sent water purifiers to the disaster-stricken region via the Red Cross.

However, attempts to confirm that report and clarify the official response in general met with no comment from the Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office, the Times said.

Israel and Indonesia do not have diplomatic relations.