Yad Sarah receives first medical aid as it avoids Houthi attacks

Science and Health

The attacks of Iran-backed Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea have wreaked havoc on imports to countries passing through the body of water, and among those Israeli organizations that have suffered is the voluntary organization, Yad Sarah. 

The medical-equipment loan organization, which also carries out numerous services to the ill, elderly, and lonely, has gotten the first airlift of emergency medical and rehabilitation to circumvent the problem of attacks on seagoing ships. The first of a series of anticipated deliveries arrived as the organization replenishes critical inventory to support the recovery of soldiers and civilians wounded in the Gaza war against Hamas terrorists. 

In the early hours of February 6, a significant delivery of urgent medical equipment sourced and procured by Yad Sarah – Israel’s leading volunteer-run nonprofit organization – touched down at Ben-Gurion Airport. The speedy delivery of the equipment was facilitated through the targeted global fundraising campaign, “Operation Breath of Life,” and included notable support from Jewish Federations of North America.

This vital shipment arrived against a backdrop of unprecedented wartime demand for medical and rehabilitation supplies for injured soldiers and civilians. The hostilities by the Houthis diverted 64 Yad Sarah containers of medical supplies and could lead to a three- to -five-month delay on any new maritime order.

Houthi tribesmen gather to show defiance after U.S. and UK air strikes on Houthi positions near Sanaa, Yemen February 4, 2024 (credit: KHALED ABDULLAH/REUTERS)

Yad Sarah is taking additional proactive measures to address the pressing need for crucial resources. The organization recognizes the life-dependent urgency of the matter seeing that it issued a full year’s worth of inventory in the first three months of war alone. The airlift signifies the first in a series of anticipated deliveries scheduled to arrive in the coming weeks.

Among the critical items being delivered are of continuous passive motion (CPM) physical therapy machines, and mobile oxygen generators that will be used for the home rehabilitation of wounded soldiers, the general population, and those in Israel’s embattled North threatened by power outages. 

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Since the onset of the war, Yad Sarah has significantly expanded its broad nationwide services while maintaining ongoing routine operations. In this pivotal humanitarian role, the organization has extended support to over 13,000 Israelis directly impacted by the war by providing essential medical services, housing, and equipment loans.

“As our brave soldiers fight to defend Israel on all fronts, we are stepping in to do our part to circumvent life-endangering delays in humanitarian supplies due to regional hostilities,” said Moshe Cohen, Yad Sarah’s director-general. “Yad Sarah is working tirelessly to overcome shipping disruptions and wartime equipment shortages in order to maintain uninterrupted aid for any individual in Israel during these challenging times. These critical steps also support precautionary measures for a severe worsening of the situation in the North of the country.”