An Israeli emergency delegation led by the IDF Home Front Command has begun search, rescue and recovery operations in Colombia following the powerful earthquake that struck the country last week.
The delegation, dubbed “Brit Achim,” arrived in Colombia on Friday as part of a joint mission involving the IDF Home Front Command, Israel’s Defense Ministry and Foreign Ministry, according to a joint statement issued by the IDF and Foreign Ministry.
The Israeli forces arrived shortly after Colombia renewed diplomatic relations with Israel and were quickly deployed to some of the areas hardest hit by the earthquake.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry and its embassy in Colombia, led by Ambassador Alon Lavi, made advance preparations for the mission, arranging the diplomatic and logistical support necessary for the Israeli personnel to operate in the disaster zone.
Immediately after landing, members of the delegation began coordinating with Colombian authorities and local emergency professionals before deploying to several locations where buildings had collapsed.
Israeli personnel are currently operating at two major destruction sites, working alongside numerous local volunteers in efforts to locate and rescue people believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.
At a university hospital in the city that sustained significant earthquake damage, engineers from the IDF Home Front Command are working together with Colombian professionals on a particularly complex engineering operation.
The Israeli engineers are providing guidance on how to safely clear the wreckage in an effort to enable rescuers to reach anyone who may remain trapped while also working toward making the damaged section of the hospital usable again.
At the same time, the Israeli delegation and local authorities have begun surveying and categorizing buildings damaged in the earthquake. The assessments are intended to provide officials with a clearer picture of the scope and severity of the destruction and help determine which locations should receive priority attention.
Members of the delegation are also assisting Colombian officials in establishing a data-management system that will provide emergency authorities with an organized, updated overview of conditions across the affected areas and help officials make decisions as rescue and recovery efforts continue.
The Israeli mission is expected to remain on the ground, providing Colombia with Israel’s extensive experience, expertise and technological capabilities in disaster response and urban search and rescue.
Officials said the delegation will continue working alongside Colombian authorities for as long as necessary, with the primary goals of saving lives, locating survivors and assisting the country as it deals with the devastating aftermath of the earthquake.
