Israeli Voluntary Aid Organizations - LATET

Another Israel non-governmental volunteer organization which is highly involved in the relief efforts in Sri Lanka is LATET. LATET, meaning “to give” in Hebrew, was founded in 1996 by a new immigrant from France named Gilles Darmon. LATET is an umbrella organization which encompasses 107 non-profits in Israel. LATET delivers over 1,000 tons of food items annually to poor people throughout Israel. In addition, LATET has since its inception participated in relief efforts in 18 disaster zones around the world.

Within 48 hours of the tsunami, LATET had already sent two representatives to Sri Lanka to begin coordinating the distribution of the aid package which LATET's partners had donated, including some 25 tons of medicines produced and donated by Israeli pharmaceutical companies such as Teva and Concept, 250,000 water purification tablets, and essential items such as mattresses, clothes, etc.

According to Arale Cohen, a spokesman for LATET, LATET has put a special emphasis on communication with Sri Lankan aid workers to find out precisely the needs of the Sri Lankan victims. Cohen explained that, despite very good intentions, at times aid organizations are too quick to get food donations without considering the local diet. For example, Cohen noted that Sri Lankans were having trouble adjusting to the bland, grain-based foods being donated from around the world, the Sri Lankan diet favoring local, highly spiced foods. Cohen also reported that LATET was in the midst of organizing another, more massive lift of over 120 tons of medicines and supplies.

Cohen also reported that LATET had already sent four more volunteers to coordinate distribution of supplies, and was in the midst of organizing another, more massive lift of over 120 tons of medicines and supplies.

LATET has set up a special account for those wishing to donate money to the relief effort:

Southeast Asia Emergency Fund
Bank HaPoalim
Branch #609 Account #200803

Links

LATET humanitarian organization homepage:
http://www.latet.org.il/english/

LATET's tsunami disaster page (Hebrew only):
http://www.latet.org.il/makore.asp

LATET spokesperson, Arale Cohen, was interviewed by the author of this article (Robert Klein) on January 6, 2005

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