VIDEO/PHOTOS: International Aid Efforts Are Still Ongoing To Help The Victims Of The Cyclone In Mozambique Including MDA

(VIDEO AND PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

A Magen David Adom paramedic tells of the sights he witnessed as part of the Canadian Red Cross delegation.

Harel Sasson, an MDA and Israel Red Cross paramedic flew last week alongside the Canadian Red Cross delegation to Mozambique in an effort to provide medical and humanitarian aid to those affected by the devastating cyclone that occurred last week, and which has affected on some two million people. As part of ongoing cooperation between MDA and the International Red Cross, paramedic Harel Sasson underwent training six months ago in Norway to set up and run a Red Cross field hospital in a multicultural and challenging setting. Harel is part of a 40-strong team who have set up the hospital and are working to rebuild the water facilities in the damaged area. The delegation is set to carry out their work for the next 4 months.

Paramedic Harel Sasson said, “We arrived at the weekend and saw firsthand the devastation caused by the cyclone. Homes were destroyed, water infrastructure has been ruined that and caused disruption to the water supplies, there is a lack of food and huge pressure on the hospitals, some of which have also been damaged.

“We were sent to Nia-Matenda to help the local medical teams in the hospital that was treating victims of the cyclone. Damage to the hospital itself was clearly visible. Due to the water supplies being disrupted there is fear over the outbreak of diseases such as Cholera. The Red Cross delegation, of which I am a member, aims to build an advanced field hospital where we expect to see some of the most complex cases caused by the storm, as well as to provide routine assistance to the many victims of this dreadful disaster. We are preparing to deal with anything from basic first aid to delivering babies or complex operations. This is a well-trained team and I’ll be here for approximately a month.”

MDA Director General, Eli Bin: “As part of our membership of the International Red Cross we regularly take part in international exercises and training programs that deal with large scale natural disasters such as this one. Our paramedics and EMTs join international delegations to provide medical and humanitarian aid in disaster zones across the world. Our relationship with the Red Cross is one of strong and significant cooperation, through which we are constantly learning, improving and gaining huge experience in dealing with large-scale disasters. Magen David Adom has some of the most advanced operational capabilities in the world, and we are continuously preparing for any eventuality.”