(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesman)
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom today (December 29) conveyed condolences to all the states hit by the earthquake and tidal waves which struck Southeast Asia at the beginning pf the week. This is a cruel natural disaster which caused tremendous suffering, the loss of tens of thousands of lives and huge damage to infrastructure and property.
Immediately after the scope of the disaster became apparent, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Government of Israel, decided to send humanitarian aid to the people of the area. Medical teams left immediately for Sri Lanka and Thailand, food and medicines were sent to Thailand, and in a special coordinated effort by the IDF and the Foreign Ministry, a plane was dispatched to Sri Lanka, carrying 80 tons of medical and humanitarian supplies.