World

JDC responds to Mexican earthquake, continues hurricane relief efforts

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee is responding to the devastating 7.1 earthquake in Central Mexico, immediately supporting the search, rescue, and emergency aid efforts of CADENA, its Mexican Jewish humanitarian partner, in hard-hit Mexico City. This work, as well as the tracking of Hurricane Maria’s impending impact in the Caribbean, is an expansion of JDC’s ongoing response to Hurricane Irma in the region. To support JDC’s relief efforts in Mexico, visit jdc.org/mexicorelief

 “As Jews around the world gather to celebrate our New Year, we also mourn the loss of life to this terrible disaster, pray for a speedy recovery, and have deployed a swift response to overwhelming needs in Mexico City. In doing so we put into action our tradition’s call to save human lives, and restore human dignity, even at times of solemn observance. Let us work together now to ensure a better year ahead for all those who have suffered in the face of recent natural disasters,” said JDC CEO David Schizer.

With longstanding ties with the Jewish community of Mexico, as well as CADENA, JDC reached out to assess needs and implement a response focusing on immediate rescue and relief including digging people out of the rubble, emergency psychology services and medical aid. At the same time, JDC continues its response to Hurricane Irma, providing hygiene kits, safe drinking water, psychosocial support for children, access to safe educational facilities, as well as rehabilitating homes of hundreds of children throughout the Caribbean, including in Haiti and Barbuda. JDC’s Hurricane Irma response partners include UNICEF, Heart to Heart International, and CADENA.

 Additionally JDC has been working with the Cuban Jewish community – with whom it shares a close relationship since being invited by the community in the 1990s to help revitalize Jewish life on the island – providing a variety of food and recovery aid to the Jewish community of Cuba, which was impacted by the unprecedented storm. Before the storm, JDC worked with the community in Havana on a crisis communication strategy to ensure the well-being of Jews in the provinces.

 JDC’s disaster relief programs are funded by special appeals of the Jewish Federations of North America and tens of thousands of individual donors to JDC.

 JDC coordinates its relief activities with the U.S. Department of State, USAID, the Israeli government, Interaction, and the United Nations, as well as local and international partners.