Israaid the Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid

IsraAID The Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid

What is IsraAID? Founded in 2001, IsraAID: The Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid is an Israeli umbrella organization consisting of 15 Israeli and Jewish non-governmental aid agencies operating in over 40 countries in development and relief programs. Vision IsraAID’s vision is for the Jewish and Israeli communities of the world to become aware of, and actively engaged, in humanitarian aid and emergency relief projects around the world.

Mission To facilitate and promote the efficient and effective implementation of humanitarian activities by Israeli and Jewish aid organizations throughout the world, while increasing their cooperation, coordination and communication.

Goals To accomplish this mission, IsraAID’s aims to coordinate between organizations, educate them through capacity building, and to increase their impact through facilitation and support.

Coordinate IsraAID supports multiple partner relief projects, development programs and assessment missions. It ensures that each initiative has a wide range of professional aspects that complement each other.

Educate IsraAID hosts national conferences and events to inform the Israeli civil society, government, private sector, and general public about global humanitarian issues and current efforts to solve them. By increasing national awareness of these matters, IsraAID also aims to advocate for increased humanitarian engagement and influence policy makers and public policy in Israel. In addition, the organization facilitates small-scale focused training sessions in Israel for its member organizations. It also sends their representatives to courses and conferences abroad, in order to enhance their connection to and understanding of global humanitarian methods.

Impact IsraAID assists its member organizations in their humanitarian endeavors through many levels of facilitation, professional management and training, communication with other organizations, and the general backing of a united coalition of organizations that stand together with one voice.

Tel: +(972) 54 5 679 979 Fax: +(972) 9 862 0042 Email: [email protected] Web: www.israaid.co.il IsraAID is a registered non-profit organization in Israel under the name IsraAID: The Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid (Amuta/Org. number 58-047295-9) IsraAID The Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid

IsraAID – A Decade of Humanitarian Aid Since its inception in 2001, IsraAID has become synonymous with a rapid response to humanitarian crises. Its medical teams, search & rescue units, post trauma experts, community specialists and other Israeli professionals have led international relief teams in natural disasters and civil strife around the world. These have included assistance to victims of the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, floods in Kenya, war in Georgia, earthquakes in Peru, Hurricane Katrina in the US, terror attack victims in India, communities devastated by cyclones in Myanmar and the Philippines, flooding in Pakistan, and emergency support following last year’s earthquake in Haiti. 2011 Projects: Japan – Since the March 11th massive earthquake and tsunami, IsraAID has sent 7 delegations to Japan. Initial donations of emergency relief items and educational material quickly evolved into a 2 year program (2011-2013) to train over 1000 local professionals in post-trauma techniques so they can provide assistance to the hundreds of thousands severely traumatized by the extreme devastation of the tsunami.

South Sudan – As the government of South Sudan struggles to build the world’s newest country, 38 years of civil war, tribal warfare, and poverty have had devastating effects on the country’s population. Violence, sexual abuse, and rape have become widespread, and young displaced girls are the most at-risk. IsraAID sent a delegation in July to donate much needed relief items to hundreds of displaced Nuba refugees and to a destitute leper colony outside Juba, the capital. In 2012, IsraAID will be launching a long-term project to support, rehabilitate, and protect street girls, refugees, displaced citizens, and other at-risk communities who have been the subject of, or are at-risk of rape, violence, and sexual abuse.

Kenya – In 2011, the horn of Africa suffered from the worst drought in 60 years. Dubbed the 'world's worst food crisis' by the UN, hundreds of thousands died, and more than 12 million are still at risk. IsraAID responded to the call for help by distributing food and emergency relief items to tens of thousands of refugees and locals fleeing famine and violence. In 2012, IsraAID is planning to continue these efforts, and to train hundreds of medical workers in psycho- social counselling for violence and rape victims living in refugee camps as well as Kenya's poorest district of Turkana.

Haiti – IsraAID arrived in Haiti 4 days after the devastating January 2010 earthquake, and initial efforts focused on relief and emergency aid. Since then, IsraAID’s goal has been to facilitate and empower local communities’ efforts to help themselves. Working both in the capital and 3 rural villages around the Leogane area (the epicenter of the quake), the approach is a holistic one, focusing on improved access to education, economic development and health services. To date, IsraAID’s project in Haiti has reached over 20,000 people through activities such as sexual education, health and hygiene awareness, language courses, computer classes, leadership training for youth, arts, sports, and many more. In addition, more than 9000 people have been treated by IsraAID’s clinic and outreach center in 2011 alone. To empower women and provide economic opportunities, the DAM DAM (‘Dam’ means woman in Creole) project is training 75 local women in recycled papier-mâché art and DAM DAM handicrafts are now being sold across the US. Finally, in an effort to promote self-sustainability, the ‘Haiti Grows’ project is advising local UN agricultural policies and training 200 representatives of local farmer’s associations.