Project Page
On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants launched a series of surprise cross-border attacks on Israeli territory from Gaza. The estimated death toll from the attacks (excluding militants) was 1,400, with over 4,600 people injured. Over 250 were taken as hostages, including 40 children. More Jewish people were murdered in a single day (Saturday, October 7th, 2023) than have been on any single day since the Holocaust.
The civilian population was evacuated from both the southern border with Gaza and from the northern border with Lebanon as Hezbollah started to attack as well. Due to the displacement of about 200,000 people, livelihoods, schools, and homes were lost. These communities were forced to go toward the country's center for safety, and thousands still cannot return to their homes and communities. The ongoing conflict is heightening the need to equip people to face continued challenges and insecurity from attacks and displacement.
Project Plan
In addition to the initial response to the October 7th attacks, Shai Fund is delivering further support to the people of Israel. This includes delivering emergency medical training, which equips individuals in urban and rural areas with the knowledge to take immediate lifesaving action before medical facilities are reached.
Alongside this support, Shai Fund is assisting school students in the displaced population through the distribution of computer tablets. Many of the students are being forced to study remotely, and are at risk of falling behind. This educational technology will help them to continue to study while they cannot attend their schools amidst the instability of the ongoing conflict.
Shai Fund Impact in Israel
In the aftermath of the October 7th attack, Shai Fund mobilized evacuation efforts to relocate victims of the attacks and people displaced from their homes and communities.
In coordination with the Jewish community in Nashville Tennessee, Shai Fund brought 6 families from Israel to the United States. This provided immediate relief to traumatized families and space in a peaceful and hospitable environment to recover from the horrific loss.
Shai Fund also delivered humanitarian aid on multiple tracks to assist those directly affected by the attacks and those who were displaced. This response included coordinating evacuation to safe locations and providing essential relief supplies for displaced families.
Through this, we evacuated approximately 361 people affected by the attack to second countries. Among the internally displaced population, 8,348 received food aid, and 28,402 have received non-food items such as medicine, clothing, and hygiene.
Your gift to the Israel Crisis Fund will meet the needs of embattled Israelis in the following ways::
- Provide intensive emergency medical aid training
- Assist with humanitarian aid to those in need who have been evacuated from the border regions
- Supply schoold students from the displaced areas with tablets so they can study