Israeli embassy in DC ships several tons of aid to Harvey victims
Teaming up with IsraAid and a moving company, Israel lends a helping hand to those ravaged by hurricane in Houston
WASHINGTON — After Hurricane Harvey devastated a large expanse of Texas, stretching out from Houston to neighboring state Louisiana, the Israeli Embassy to the United States joined with two organizations to ship several tons of aid to the storm’s victims.
As part of a partnership with the Israeli humanitarian aid organization IsraAid and Movers 495, a American-Israeli owned moving company, the embassy staff spent Tuesday afternoon packing and loading items into trucks to go directly to Houston.
Once the movers arrive in the southeastern Texas city, they will coordinate with the Israeli officials already there to disperse the aid most effectively.
“We have been working closely with the Israeli consulate in Houston,” Itai Bar-Dov, a spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in Washington, told The Times of Israel on Tuesday. “They will be receiving the aid together with IsraAid and help with the distribution.”
IsraAid volunteers have been on the ground in Texas since last week. They brought with them disaster management experts, mental health experts and engineers.
Once the hurricane wreaked calamitous damage throughout the state, in which at least 39 people died and thousands of homes were destroyed, the embassy contacted IsraAid to see how they could help, according to Bar-Dov.
“After receiving a list of items needed, specifically products for the rehabilitation and the cleanup of the damaged areas, we arranged for a large shipment of aid weighing several tons,” he said.
He went on to say their assistance is designed to not only provide material relief, but also send “a message to the people of Texas that ‘Israel stands with you.'”
