So far, we have raised over $223,000 in donations from more than 1600 contributors with 100% of the funds being allocated by United Israel Appeal Canada to IsraAid, the coalition of Israeli NGO disaster relief specialists. Fund proceeds also qualify for Canadian government matching dollars which will be allocated to Canada's Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund.

IsraAid personnel are working around the clock to provide assistance to the injured. In light of the generous outpouring of support for its efforts, IsraAid will be expanding the scale of its operation, preparing an additional team that will be sent next week.

Within minutes after landing at the airport, the volunteer medical professionals from IsraAid traveled to the main Port-au- Prince Hospital, where they joined local doctors at the collapsed facility, to treat thousands of wounded and desperate earthquake victims.

In addition to providing life-saving medical services, IsraAid personnel are assisting with rescue efforts and logistical support for relief items as they continue to land.

The IsraAid operation is part of a huge Israeli relief effort. Two IDF teams, comprised of search and rescue personnel and canine operators are going out on rescue missions. The IDF Medical and Rescue Team is treating patients at a field hospital in Port-Au-Prince. The field hospital is prepared to receive dozens of ambulances evacuating injured children from the different disaster stricken areas. The hospital, which can treat 500 patients a day, includes 40 doctors, 25 nurses, paramedics, a pharmacy, a children's ward, a radiology department, an intensive care unit, an emergency room, two operating rooms, a surgical department, an internal department and a maternity ward.

In addition, a six man delegation from the ZAKA organization (four from Israel and two from Mexico) succeeded Saturday, after 38 hours of work, in pulling eight students alive from the rubble of an eight storey university building.

We will continually keep you updated on Israeli relief activities in Haiti. In the meantime, if you haven't already done so, please help Haiti now by visiting ujadonations.com/haiti. You can also call 416.631.5705.

Thank you for your generosity and your commitment to tikun olam repairing the world.

Alan Winer,
Chair, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto