Zaka in Philippines: "There is total chaos"

ZAKA also joins the international effort and rescue force came to the Philippines.

A delegation consisting of volunteers from Israel and the United States led by Mati Goldstein, commander of the international unit of Zaka, came out on Thursday the Philippines. Among the delegation members EMTs and paramedics officials and volunteers with experience in disaster relief aid around the world. The delegation took with great equipment, medical equipment and first aid, rescue equipment, equipment for the bodies as well as great food.

EL AL assisted flying equipment free of charge. Before their departure, the delegation met with Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Mr. Generoso, Di.Gi. Kalong expressed great appreciation for the assistance of ZAKA.

Volunteers landed on Friday and spent Shabbos in Manila. On Saturday night the delegation went out to the stricken islands accompanied by the messenger of Chabad and other volunteers joined local residents Zaka rescue mission.

The delegation arrived in the islands Menpaso, one of the islands which were hit hard by the disaster, the town was almost completely destroyed in place; the sheriff of the island received the delegation. When Goldstein commander of the delegation said that "there was no one structure was not destroyed or significantly damaged, the place looks like a ghost town, complete chaos. Casualties are huge, there are lots of dead and destruction everywhere is enormous."

Local aid delegation, improvised spaces of concentration plant, which gathered numerous soldiers rescued from the rubble, sheriff excavated teaching dead bodies buried in a mass grave where there were 300-500 cavities.

According to estimates, typhoon, Heian, is the most destructive hit at the Philippines since the beginning of the documentation of tropical storms in South - East Asia. He brought winds of 235 mph and gusts of up to 275 mph and waves of 15 feet, as they were only seen in the tsunami in 2004, and at least 400 mm of rain. At least ten thousand people were killed, most of them in Tacloban. Hundreds are still missing and hundreds of thousands around 630,000 were displaced by the authorities.

Members of ZAKA rescue mission will continue coordination with emergency and rescue officials in place, and are on their way to other islands which were hit.

Israeli hospital continues to operate

IDF delegation to the Philippines continues to work in the disaster area to help the local community.

Today HFC forces were used as a water reservoir on the five villages on the island of Sibu. Their aim was to implement the database and allow collecting rainwater to rehabilitate the electricity infrastructure on the island. This goal has been completed and can now five thousand residents to use water flowing accessible.

In addition, continued efforts of the Home Front Command rehabilitation Sibu Island schools. The soldiers, who helped renovate one of the schools, where it today when the school re- opening after they were shut down following the typhoon. The soldiers were greeted by the staff and all the students with joy and expressing appreciation for their work.

In addition, today were treated at the hospital 250 patients of whom 92 were children and seven surgeries. Since the opening of the hospital until now treated 960 patients of whom 324 were children and 18 surgeries.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!