Posted on 12/28/2004 3:28:39 AM PST by white trash redneck
A 150-member Israeli aid delegation canceled its mission to Sri Lanka on Tuesday, after the country - one of the hardest hit in the Asian tsunami disaster - refused to accept the Israeli team, Israel Defense Forces officials said.
However, Israel is sending supplies at Sri Lanka's request, including 10,000 blankets contributed by the IDF, tents, nylon sheeting and water containers. The IDF Home Front Command is organizing aid preparations.
The Israeli humanitarian organization Latet ("To give") is sending a separate aid package Tuesday. It is filling a jumbo jet with 18 tons of supplies worth $50,000, at Sri Lanka's request. The group is considering sending additional aid shortly.
Sri Lanka said on Tuesday the death toll from the tsunami had risen to about 15,000 people, including at least 200 foreign tourists. Sri Lankan military spokesman Daya Ratnayake said more than 1.5 million people had been displaced from their homes - around 7.5 percent of Sri Lanka's population.
About 26,000 people were confirmed dead Tuesday in the wake of the tsunami that slammed into coasts from India to Indonesia two days before, with some estimates nearly doubling that toll.
The aid delegation that had been set to depart for Sri Lanka on Tuesday included medical teams and representatives of the IDF and Defense Ministry, who were planning to provide humanitarian assistance and participate in search-and-rescue operations.
The delegation was planning to assemble a medical facility comprised of specialist doctors, and set up emergency, internal medicine and pediatric departments, as well as laboratory and X-ray facilities in the southern part of Sri Lanka.
A far smaller team landed in Sri Lanka on Monday night, headed by four doctors from Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Karem in Jerusalem. The team was carrying medicine and baby food.
The doctors - who specialize in rescue operations, trauma and pediatrics - were also checking the viability of setting up a field hospital in the area, and advised Israel to send a larger team, such as the one Sri Lanka rejected.
"We will advise Israel and the Foreign Ministry... to send something more massive," said Dr. Avi Rivkind, director of Hadassah's trauma unit. "We will try to use our... broad experience in dealing with terror attacks and rescuing masses to help in this disaster as well."
Israel is weighing the option of sending similar delegations to Thailand, where more than 1,000 people have died, and India, where more than 4,000 people have died, but has yet to make a final decision on the matter.
Health Min. team leaves for Thailand A Health Ministry contingent left for Thailand on Monday night to aid in the rescue efforts there after around 1,000 people, including tourists, were killed on the islands of Phuket and Phi Phi. The contingent includes doctors, nurses and four members of the IDF, Israel Radio reported.
Israel has also offered its assistance to India. Mofaz passed on the offer to Indian authorities through Israel's military attache Colonel Moshe Krawitz.
Mofaz offered aid of two kinds - a search-and-rescue team from the Home Front Command, as well as consignments of food and medicine.
A ZAKA rescue-and-recovery team left for the disaster areas Monday night armed with its equipment, including materials and tools for identifying bodies, as well as body bags.
"We are waiting for any instruction," Yehuda Meshi Zahav, the director of the organization, said Monday.
"You forgot about their... "food"."
Tell me about the food.
As the world is preparing what United Nation's officials titled "the most expensive aid relief mission" for 10 Southeast Asia countries, Israel is preparing several delegations headed for Sri Lanka and Thailand.
India, unlike Thailand and Sri Lanka, has not requested any Israeli assistance.
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said an immediate decision was made to send $100,000 worth of food and medical supplies.
Israel reduced its planned humanitarian mission to Sri Lanka from a 154-member delegation to just a handful of people who will accompany the shipment of 10 tons of relief aid to the disaster-stricken nation.
The change in the makeup of the mission – which was to include army doctors, rescue and relief workers and eight Israeli journalists – followed hours of intense negotiations between the Israeli and the Sri Lanka governments. Neither stated the reasons for the change of plan.
Sri Lanka Ambassador Diffa Digeratna said Tuesday morning: "We are very thankful to the government of Israel for providing those facilities to Sri Lanka."
He said that due to logistical constraints and "the lack of accommodations in Colombo" (the capital), his government had requested that Israel send a reduced delegation.
Sri Lanka said more than 10,000 people were killed along its coastlines, and Tamil rebels said 2,000 people died in their territory, raising that country's toll to more than 12,000.
Over a million-and-a-half people have been left homeless in Sri Lanka.
An Israeli medical mission to Thailand was dispatched by the Health Ministry on Monday. Minister Dan Naveh asked director-general Avi Yisraeli to appoint the members immediately. Headed by associate director-general Boaz Lev, it includes five physicians and four nurses from Ichilov, Ha'emek, Beilinson and Kaplan hospitals.
Israel dispatched a 15-person medical team, including nine army doctors, to Phuket, Thailand, Monday night to assist rescue operations.
Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, the head of Zaka (Disaster Victims Identification), was in the ministry Monday coordinating details to send a delegation to the area to extend aid and, if need be, identify bodies.
President Moshe Katsav on Monday expressed his condolences to the families and nations of the thousands of victims.
Describing the earthquake as "one of the biggest natural disasters in history," Katsav voiced the hope that those people listed as missing will be found safe and sound.
The State of Israel is pained by the tragedy, he said, and noted that the Foreign Ministry is making every possible endeavor to find Israelis in the region who have not yet made contact with their anxious families at home.
With Margot Dudkevitch
You said -- "You are barking up the wrong tree."
Your tree smells like anti-semitism, otherwise you would not have gotten so many remarks in that regard. You're the one who has established that -- all by yourself.
Regards,
Star Traveler
Oh yes she is very nice.
/john
Actually the eagle and a kitty are both predators. In this case they have an uneasy peace. Work on your interpretation skills.
Hey please do go!
I want to talk to U.
I am a little slow to type.
Big Bump! Great idea! Send that one to your congressman, perfect.
I don't know any jokes about their food, and now I'm too lazy to create some, but you should see "Super size me" - documentary about guy, who ate only at Macdonald for three weeks.
Welcome to Free Republic. Greatly appreciated your posts.
Wrong book.
It's inedible, but the portions are huge.
"I don't know any jokes about their food, and now I'm too lazy to create some, but you should see "Super size me" - documentary about guy, who ate only at Macdonald for three weeks."
Is that a bird(brain)?
Is that a plain(idiot)?
No it is the Supermac!!
(Hey all Americans...... i m only kidding, ok!)
Who change that picture :)?
Did you see "Super size me" ?
Both stories are correct. Israel assembled a team and then Sri Lanka informed the Israeli government via India that Israelis simply are not welcome.
Here is another fine example of a nation that would rather let people suffer and die than accept help from Israel/Jews. Despicable.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.