IDF to send field hospital to Philippines for typhoon relief
Mission to include medical staff and hospital.
By YAAKOV LAPPINSoldier preparing supplies for the Philippines 370(photo credit: Courtesy IDF)
The IDF will send a humanitarian mission to assist victims of the Typhoon in the Philippines, army sources said.The mission, headed by Col. Ramtin Sabati, who commands the National Rescue Unit, will contain medical staff and a field hospital, and will head out to the storm-stricken areas on Wednesday. The decision came following an evaluation meeting held by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz.The mission will also include Col. Dr. Dudu Dagan, Deputy Chief Medical Corp Officer, who will act as commander of the field hospital. The IsraAID humanitarian organization on Saturday sent a team of seven medical professionals to Tacloban City in the storm-ravaged Philippines.The Foreign Ministry announced that Israel would send a search and rescue team with experience in searching damaged buildings, as well as a medical team.Philippine officials have been overwhelmed by the scale of Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest on record, which tore a path through islands in the central Philippines on Friday.About 660,000 people have been displaced and many have no access to food, water or medicine, the United Nations said. The typhoon killed an estimated 10,000 people in one city alone, with fears the toll could rise sharply as rescuers reach more devastated towns.Hayley Munguia and Reuters contributed to this report.
