JDC Haiti Relief Update January 15

• JDC is the official  humanitarian assistance organization for the organized Jewish community and the Jewish Federations of North America
• JDC is supporting the Medical Corps of the Israel Defense Force whose team of medical professionals has landed in Haiti and is setting up a field hospital to care for those affected by the quake. JDC funds have purchased medical equipment, including infant incubators for a neonatal unit and orthopedic devices
• JDC is working with Heart to Heart International, a U.S. nongovernmental organization (NGO) on the ground to provide emergency medical assistance, equipment, and other services
• Working with the Afya Foundation, a container of mattresses and much-needed medical supplies has been sent to Partners in Health, a well respected NGO started in Haiti by Dr. Paul Farmer.  JDC is also supporting the shipment of 2 additional containers
• JDC is supporting EcoWorks International which, working through local sources, will be operating a soup kitchen
• Further partnerships are being explored by JDC with local NGOs to provide emergency assistance during this initial stage disaster response
• JDC continues to coordinate activities with the White House and Department of State
• Consistent with its International Development Program (JDC-IDP) operations historically, JDC will likely provide for some amount of immediate emergency relief but reserve the bulk of our operations for intermediate and long-term rebuilding and reconstruction programs that are sustainable by the affected community
• The Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief—an alliance of 45 U.S. and foreign Jewish agencies that provides a united Jewish response to humanitarian disasters—has formed a new coalition for Haiti relief which will be coordinated by JDC.