Israeli NGO expands its critical relief activities for the wounded and sick in the South and across the country
JERUSALEM, Israel, October 15, 2023 – Yad Sarah, Israel’s leading volunteer-staffed organization and largest nongovernmental social and healthcare service provider, reports updates in the second week of its Emergency Relief Campaign to provide critical medical supplies and rehabilitation activities for the wounded, sick and evacuated in this time of crisis.
The NGO has rapidly expanded massive operations by increasing branch and volunteer activities nationwide. Yad Sarah’s large-scale relief efforts are coordinated in collaboration with hospital administrations, the IDF, Israel Police, and population intake centers for evacuees.
Overview of volunteer-led activity to date:
- Supplied emergency aid to thousands of individuals wounded in the war
- Provided medical and rehabilitation equipment for over 1,000 soldiers
- Delivered over NIS 250,000 worth of medicines free of cost to individuals in the South
- The wheelchair-accessible van (nechonit) unit evacuated nearly 100 residents of Southern Israel, including people with disabilities
- Over 300 volunteer drivers working around the clock to deliver medical equipment and medicines as well as to transport the sick and elderly
Yad Sarah has expanded branch operating hours and activity, especially at those located in hospitals, to meet heightened requests for equipment loans, particularly crutches and wheelchairs. It also opened three new forward-facing branches (Dead Sea, Bat Yam and Bnei Zion Hospital, Haifa) within days of the initial attacks on Israel. Yad Sarah has an agreement with the IDF whereby soldiers can access any branch and receive equipment without the need for a deposit.
Yad Sarah launched a large campaign to recruit reinforcement volunteers, including senior citizens throughout Israel to volunteer as operators in the NGO’s Emergency Call Center, expanding its ability to field crisis calls.
