Supporting Displaced Communities in Israel

IsraAID's Safe Harbor program is an initiative to form Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) across northern Israel, a region that faces ongoing missile attacks daily. It is a collaboration between IsraAID and the Israeli Association of Community Centers (IACC). The training advances skills in emergency management, psychological first aid provision, decision-making under stress, volunteer management, and more. More than 300 people have been trained so far, across 140 communities. 

Orit is a community center coordinator in Acre, northern Israel, and a participant in the Safe Harbor program. On August 25, a direct missile strike from Lebanon struck in Acre. The impact damaged 20 homes and a nearby kindergarten, and Orit was one of the first to reach the scene.

Although Orit had not yet fully completed the Safe Harbor course, the training she had completed so far immediately kicked in. She provided psychological first aid, including treating a pregnant woman in shock, and accompanied her to further support at the community center. She also arranged for resilience kits to be distributed to children affected by the attack.

More than a year into this crisis, IsraAID continues to support communities affected by displacement, stress, grief, and conflict. We are proud to partner with the IACC and support individuals like Orit to make a difference in their own local area.