As part of its assistance to the quake-hit nation, Israel set up a Field Hospital in Kathmandu just 96 hours after the natural disaster left a rail of death and destruction in Nepal. According to Carmon, Israel flew in 90 tonnes of medical equipment into Kathmandu and a medical team comprising 260 persons.
The hospital has the capacity to treat 200 persons per day and has already conducted 80 life-saving operations on those left seriously injured in the earthquake’s aftermath. There are around 120 Israeli medical staff working in this Field Hospital which also saw eight babies being born in the days after the quake.
Pemba Tamang, the 15-year-old Nepali boy virtually entombed for five days in a building that had collapsed following the quake was among the many who was treated at the Field Hospital after his rescue.
With more hands needed to help the three-member Israeli embassy team (this includes the ambassador) in Kathmandu, another eight of the country’s diplomats based in New Delhi also flew down to Nepal. Listing the three main objectives of the “operation” mounted by Israel, Ambassador Carmon said it was to aid in search and rescue, provide medical assistance and locate and evacuate Israeli citizens stranded in Nepal.
The Israeli envoy also acknowledged the help and cooperation Israel received from the Indian government in its relief and rescue efforts. “We approached the ministry of external affairs, Indian Air Force, civil aviation authorities, Protocol (division) and we received cooperation that was invaluable from them else we could not have done what we did,” said Carmon.
Apart from the Israeli teams aiding in the rescue and relief efforts in Nepal, the country’s embassy staff in New Delhi too played a significant role in terms of providing logistical support to those in the field, So when a request for more food, water and medicines came in from the Israeli teams in Nepal, it was time for the embassy here to go the extra mile.
Within a matter of a few hours, the staff had arranged 500 litres of milk, 7,000 bottles of one litre each of water, 400 bread loaves, 300 kgs of frozen chicken and 300 kg of dry fruits. The Israeli and the local staff were roped in to help not just source the material from places such as INA Market and Bhogal but also put labels on the cartons containing it before it was transported to the airport. The large quantity of medicines that were needed were also arranged and within a matter of just a few hours, the entire consignment of 11 tons was ready to be loaded onto an Israeli military aircraft in New Delhi to be flown to Kathmandu.
It was not easy to arrange these supplies. There was need to coordinate with the civil aviation and customs authorities too before the cargo could be transported. It was a complicated job said Haim Levy, the head of administration in the Israeli Embassy in Delhi who oversaw this entire operation to put together 11 tons of food, water and medicines.
Having assisted in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, Israel now plans to adopt a quake-affected village in Nepal. “We want to help reconstruct and rehabilitate the village,” said Ambassador Carmon. “We will identify our fellow partners in this reconstruction and rehabilitation work as soon as things begin to settle down,” he added.
Ambassador Camron addressing the press briefing said “Israeli Foreign Minister Liberman has announced rebuilding a village in Nepal that was destroyed by the earthquake”
Laudatory though the Israeli government’s efforts might be, it has come under criticism domestically for only evacuating 26 infants born through surrogacy to gay couples from Nepal and not the women still carrying surrogate babies for Israelis. A large number of gay Israeli couples and men have made Nepal their destination for having surrogate children as their own country’s law prevents them from having a surrogate child.
Asked about the controversy surrounding the non-evacuation of such mothers from Nepal, Ambassador Carmon said the Israeli government is taking it as an issue that needs to be dealt with seriously. Yet another Israeli diplomat Ziv Bilaus said: “ All obligations towards the mother (surrogate) have been done…no surrogate mother has been left behind with an open obligation.” Embassy spokesperson Ohad Horsandi said only Israeli citizens have been evacuated.