American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) Mobilizes To Aid Victims of Myanmar Cyclone Nargis

Thanks to its historical, 94 years of operation as a non-political entity and relief organization, JDC personnel has been granted entry visas to carry out humanitarian aid efforts for victims of Cyclone Nargis which hit Myanmar last week. Senior JDC professionals are en route to Myanmar today, where they will assess the situation and carry out plans to aid the estimated several hundred thousand cyclone victims without shelter and safe drinking water. JDC currently assists some of the region’s estimated 10 Jews.

JDC’s Relief Efforts include:

• Shipping $100,000 in initial emergency food and medical supplies in coordination with the Foreign Ministry of Israel.
• In partnership with American Jewish Congress and B’nai Brith, dispatching a team from F.I.R.S.T (Fast Israeli Rescue & Search Team) to provide emergency assistance.
• Mobilizing partners throughout the world, including Magen David Adom (MDA), the Israeli Red Cross, to send rescue workers, medical personnel, a shipment of medical supplies, and emergency supplies.
• Working closely with the local Jewish community to assess damage and help reach those who are not being served by others. Initial reports conclude that the one synagogue in Myanmar has been damaged.

Relief efforts are part of JDC’s International Development Program (IDP) which responds to natural and manmade disasters, providing immediate relief and long-term assistance. JDC’s non-sectarian efforts have provided aid to those affected by the cyclone in Bangladesh; the earthquake in Peru; the Tsunami in South Asia; the floods in Haiti and the Dominican Republic; the victims of terror in Turkey; the earthquakes in El Salvador, India, Morocco, and Turkey; the displaced people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo following the eruption of the Mt. Nyiragongo volcano; and the war-torn communities in Kosovo.