IsraAID sends emergency team to Guatelama

After yesterday’s devastating Volcan de Fuego eruption in Guatemala, IsraAID, the leading Israeli humanitarian aid NGO, is deploying an Emergency Response Team to assess the situation and distribute humanitarian relief as needed.

The situation is developing rapidly. At least 33 people are estimated to have died in the volcano’s second eruption this year, with more missing and hundreds injured. More than 3,000 people have been evacuated from the surrounding area and in total 2 million people are believed to be affected. Volcanic ash has reached as far as Guatemala City, 25 miles away. IsraAID’s team will arrive in Guatemala tomorrow, June 5th, to distribute relief and conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to guide the organization’s intervention.

In 2017, IsraAID launched its Emergency Response Fund, dedicated to ensuring the organization’s capacity to respond immediately to emergency crises or rapidly-deteriorating situations as they occur. Last year, IsraAID responded to disasters in nine locations around the world, including Dominica, Florida, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Texas. IsraAID’s teams are still on the ground in most of these places, providing long-term psychological support, access to safe water and capacity building to ensure the population is better prepared for future disasters.