Israel Emergency Response

Israelis Need Us. Now.

Millions of Israelis are in crisis. They are facing displacement, trauma, unemployment, and constant attacks, especially in the North. A year of devastating war has disrupted lives, communities, and livelihoods. JDC is there to help — as we have been for more than a century.

Founded in 1914 to help starving Jews in Jerusalem at the outbreak of WWI and ever since, JDC delivers critical support to the most vulnerable Israelis — the elderly, children and families at risk, people with disabilities, and the poor.

We have decades of expertise in developing sustainable solutions on a national scale, working in partnership with Israeli NGOs, the business sector, the government, and municipalities. Before the war, 1 million+ Israelis benefited weekly from JDC-developed social services.

Immediately on October 7, 2023 and in the following months, JDC deployed a range of emergency responses to save lives and aid hundreds of thousands of Israelis.

And today, in addition to the ongoing core support to vulnerable populations, we are the trusted organization leading national initiatives to help the hardest-hit Israelis rebuild their lives.

Our Impact in Numbers

1 MILLION+ ISRAELIS

helped by JDC-developed programs each week

Here are some highlights of our ongoing emergency response working with displaced and frontline Israelis

540,000+

Israelis provided direct emergency aid; education, welfare, employment, and social services; and mental health solutions

*As of November 2024

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Throughout this devastating war, JDC’s life-saving emergency response in Israel has been rapid and continuous. We are identifying and meeting new and emerging needs to ensure that people and communities remain resilient and ready to build Israel’s future.

Coming to the Aid of the Northern Front

The situation in the North – home to 35% of the country’s population – continues to worsen, with more than 70,000 Israelis already evacuated and another 240,000 living in the line of fire. The need for humanitarian support surges every day, and many towns are too small, or services stretched too thin, to meet the demand.

We have been preparing residents in the North for escalation in the war as well as rebuilding infrastructure and critical social services through collaborative efforts with local and national government leaders responsible for 30+ municipalities across the North.

300,000+

Israelis in the North have been devastated by rocket attacks and widespread displacement since the start of the war.

What We’ve Done Since October 7th

What We Must Do Now

The war has intensified the key challenges already faced in Israel’s northern communities, many of which lag behind in healthcare, employment, access to public transportation, and higher education. To boost the resilience of these towns and cities, as of October 2024, JDC has:

Set up a dedicated Humanitarian Situation Room (“Hamal”) team and placed JDC-trained and funded emergency response coordinators in 16 high-risk locations in the North to ensure emerging needs of the most vulnerable are met in real time.
Delivered 30,000 emergency kits to northern communities for distribution to households, benefitting over 120,000 people.
Provided nearly 366,000 pieces of emergency medical and hospital equipment and first aid supplies across Israel, including to vulnerable communities in the North.
Set up an emergency field medical unit for regional use in case of a mass casualty event.
Created a network of 72 community caseworkers, with another 90 on standby, throughout Israel to respond to the needs of elderly and people with disabilities, including evacuation.
Operating 21 pop-up day centers in hotels serving 12,600 displaced elderly.
Helping people with disabilities who don’t have safe rooms develop plans and adjust living spaces so that they can reach safety more quickly.
Providing urgent relief to residents who live in the line of fire — including optimizing welfare, healthcare, and education services, and integrating children back into school.
Assisting struggling businesses and the newly unemployed, as well as establishing a team of essential workers who will ensure continuity of services and businesses in the event of a war on the northern front.
Establishing a forum of city managers and key leaders to share knowledge, best practices, and collaborative solutions to shared regional challenges.