IsraAID

IsraAID, formally known as the Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid, is an Israeli nongovernmental humanitarian organization that responds to disasters, armed conflict, displacement, public-health emergencies, and other crises. It was established in 2001 by Shachar Zahavi and Mully Dor as a coalition of Israeli search-and-rescue, medical, relief, and international-development organizations. The coalition later developed into an independent aid agency with an international operating footprint. The organization’s work combines immediate emergency response with longer-term recovery and development. Its activities have included search and rescue, emergency medical treatment, relief-supply distribution, temporary education, community rebuilding, school support, safe-water programs, sanitation and hygiene assistance, public-health education, and mental-health and protection services. IsraAID describes its approach as partnering with local communities to deliver urgent aid, support recovery, and reduce the effects of future disasters. Its stated beneficiaries are people affected by humanitarian crises regardless of race, religion, nationality, or disability. IsraAID has operated or supported projects in more than 60 countries. Early responses included tsunami relief in Sri Lanka, earthquake assistance in Peru, support for refugees near the Kenya–Somalia border, aid for Georgian war-displaced people, and emergency missions following Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. The organization later became widely associated with its Haiti earthquake response, where teams helped establish treatment facilities, coordinate logistics, and create a child-education center in the Pétion-Ville displacement camp. Other deployments addressed typhoons in the Philippines, conflict-related social-service needs in South Sudan, wildfire recovery in the United States, migration and refugee protection in Europe, the Central Italy earthquake, Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, and the COVID-19 pandemic. IsraAID’s programs have increasingly emphasized mental health, psychosocial support, protection, and resilience alongside conventional relief. During the 2021 Afghanistan crisis, it and its partners helped facilitate the evacuation of vulnerable Afghan civilians. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the organization began work near the Moldova–Ukraine border, expanded into Romania, and later operated inside Ukraine, including mental-health assistance and large-scale safe-water projects. In October 2023, after the attacks in Israel, IsraAID launched what was described as its first large-scale emergency operation inside Israel, assisting communities displaced from the Gaza border area, supporting rocket-shelter initiatives in Bedouin communities with local partners, organizing therapeutic retreats for survivors of the Nova festival massacre, and helping train local disaster-response teams in northern Israel. IsraAID is funded through Israeli, North American, and international individual donors, foundations, community organizations, institutions, and corporations. The organization has been described as having approximately 300 team members worldwide. Its leadership has included CEO Yotam Polizer and global chair Meira Aboulafia. As a humanitarian NGO rather than a conventional consumer brand, IsraAID’s public identity is built around emergency expertise, international volunteerism, local partnerships, and the combination of immediate relief with sustained community recovery.

IsraAID was founded in 2001 by Shachar Zahavi and Mully Dor as an umbrella coalition bringing together Israeli and Jewish search-and-rescue, medical, relief, and international-development organizations. Its original structure enabled several aid groups to coordinate overseas emergency missions while retaining their own organizational identities. Over time, the coalition evolved into an independent humanitarian agency with its own international programs and field teams. The organization’s early work focused heavily on disaster relief. In 2004 and 2005, it coordinated Israeli assistance for communities affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami in Sri Lanka, including medical and logistical personnel and large quantities of relief supplies. In 2007, it sent medical personnel to Peru after a major earthquake and supported relief efforts for Somali refugees near the Kenya–Somalia border. Its affiliated and partner organizations also worked on HIV/AIDS education and distributed clothing and basic medical equipment. IsraAID expanded its disaster portfolio in 2008 and 2009. It helped provide meals for people displaced by conflict in Georgia, sent search-and-rescue and medical teams to Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis, and dispatched volunteer doctors, nurses, and paramedics to the Philippines after two destructive typhoons. These missions reflected the organization’s developing model of combining emergency personnel with material assistance and cooperation with local or international partners. The 2010 Haiti earthquake became one of IsraAID’s most prominent responses. A 15-person team including search-and-rescue and emergency-medical specialists established treatment rooms at the collapsed main hospital in Port-au-Prince and operated a temporary clinic at a football stadium outside the capital. IsraAID also helped coordinate relief-supply logistics and, with partner agencies, created a child-education center in the Pétion-Ville displacement camp using tents associated with the Israeli field hospital. During the following decade, IsraAID broadened its work beyond immediate disaster response. In 2012, it assisted South Sudan in establishing a Ministry of Social Development intended to provide social services after years of war and hardship. In 2014, it supported recovery following a major wildfire in Washington State. During the 2015 European migrant crisis, it sent an advanced emergency team to Greece and conducted assessment and relief missions in Serbia and Croatia. After the 2016 Central Italy earthquake, it deployed search-and-rescue, relief, and trauma specialists. In 2019, after Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, its personnel prepared medical and relief supplies, psychological support, and safe-water assistance. IsraAID’s program identity increasingly incorporated water, sanitation and hygiene, public health, mental health, protection, education, and disaster-risk reduction. In 2020, it launched a COVID-19 response across 16 countries. In 2021, it and its partners helped evacuate more than 160 vulnerable Afghan civilians after the Taliban takeover. In 2022, the organization responded to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, first near the Moldova–Ukraine border, then in Romania and Ukraine. Its Ukrainian work included mental-health services and large-scale programs to restore access to safe water. After the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel, IsraAID initiated its first large-scale emergency response inside the country. It supported communities displaced from the Gaza border area, worked with local partners on rocket shelters in Bedouin villages, helped provide therapeutic retreats for survivors of the Nova festival massacre, and assisted with training local disaster-response teams in northern Israel. The organization remains an active international humanitarian NGO, funded by private donors, foundations, community groups, institutions, and corporations in Israel, North America, and elsewhere.

• 2023

  Emergency operation in Israel

  [1]IsraAiden.wikipedia.org

  IsraAID supports displaced Israeli communities, survivors of the Nova festival massacre, local shelter initiatives, and disaster-response training after the October 7 attacks.

• 2022

  Ukraine emergency response

  [1]IsraAiden.wikipedia.org

  IsraAID responds to the invasion of Ukraine with border assistance, mental-health support, and safe-water programs.

• 2020

  Global COVID-19 response

  [1]IsraAiden.wikipedia.org

  IsraAID launches pandemic-response programs across 16 countries.

• 2015

  European migrant-crisis response

  [1]IsraAiden.wikipedia.org

  The organization deploys an advanced emergency team to Greece and carries out assessment and relief missions in Serbia and Croatia.

• 2012

  Support for social services in South Sudan

  [1]IsraAiden.wikipedia.org

  IsraAID assists South Sudan in setting up its Ministry of Social Development after years of conflict.

• 2010

  Haiti earthquake response

  [1]IsraAiden.wikipedia.org

  IsraAID deploys search-and-rescue and medical teams, supports treatment facilities and logistics, and helps establish a child-education center.

• 2004

  Tsunami relief coordination in Sri Lanka

  [1]IsraAiden.wikipedia.org

  IsraAID coordinates Israeli relief assistance after the Indian Ocean tsunami, including supplies, medical support, and logistical personnel.

• 2001

  IsraAID is founded

  [1]IsraAiden.wikipedia.org

  Shachar Zahavi and Mully Dor establish IsraAID as a coalition of Israeli and Jewish humanitarian and international-development organizations.

A nonsectarian humanitarian organization combining rapid emergency response with long-term recovery, mental-health care, public health, safe water, and community resilience.

• Humanitarian service · 2001

  Emergency disaster response

  Rapid-response deployments for earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones, wildfires, armed conflict, displacement, and public-health emergencies. Activities can include search and rescue, emergency medical care, field clinics, relief logistics, and distribution of essential supplies.

• Humanitarian service

  Water, sanitation and hygiene programs

  Programs designed to restore or improve access to safe water, sanitation, hygiene resources, and related community infrastructure during crises and recovery periods.

• Protection and health service

  Mental-health and psychosocial support

  Post-trauma care, psychosocial assistance, therapeutic programming, and mental-health support for people affected by disasters, conflict, forced displacement, and mass-casualty events.

• Development service

  Community resilience and disaster-risk reduction

  Longer-term initiatives that strengthen local capacity, train community responders, support public health and education, and reduce vulnerability to future emergencies.

• 2023

  Launch a large-scale emergency operation inside IsraelStrategy

  Background

  The October 7 attacks and ensuing displacement created extensive humanitarian and psychosocial needs within Israel.

  Action taken

  IsraAID supported displaced communities near the Gaza border, shelter initiatives in Bedouin villages, therapeutic retreats for Nova festival survivors, and disaster-response training in northern Israel.

  Aftermath

  The organization established a major domestic emergency-response presence alongside its international humanitarian work.

  Source

• 2022

  Expand Ukraine response from border relief to in-country recovery programsStrategy

  Background

  The full-scale invasion of Ukraine created sustained humanitarian needs beyond the initial border and refugee response.

  Action taken

  IsraAID extended its work from the Moldova–Ukraine border into Romania and Ukraine, adding mental-health assistance and large-scale safe-water programs.

  Aftermath

  The response broadened IsraAID’s role from immediate displacement assistance to longer-term recovery and essential-infrastructure support.

  Source

1. 1IsraAiden.wikipedia.org
2. 2IsraAID official websiteisraaid.org.il