Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced Monday that it is sending aid money to Guatemala to assist local authorities in the Central American country after a volcanic eruption killed dozens and forced thousands to flee their homes.
On Sunday, Guatemalan authorities reported that 25 people had been killed after the Volcan del Fuego volcano erupted south of the nation’s capital, Guatemala City.
The National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction in Guatemala said that fiery clouds of smoke were billowing from the volcano and that soot blanketed cars and houses in the nearby villages of San Pedro Yepocapa and Sangre de Cristo.
More than 300 people have been treated for injuries following the eruption, and some 3,100 were evacuated, though as many as 1.7 million people could be affected, CNN reported.
Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales has declared a three-day period of national mourning in the wake of the disaster.
On Monday, Israel sent $10,000 in emergency aid to Guatemala for the purchase of medicine and other basic supplies for survivors of the eruption.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said Monday it would consult with the Guatemalan government regarding other possible steps Israel may take to aid victims of the disaster.
“We follow with worry the eruption of the Fuego volcano in #Guatemala,” tweeted Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon. “Our hearts go to the victims and their families. From Israel we extend solidarity and friendship.”
“Following the volcanic eruption in Guatemala, the Foreign Ministry has sent $10,000 in immediate emergency aid for the purchase of emergency equipment (medicine, food, and blankets) for those affected. We will undertake an evaluation soon with Guatemalan authorities.”
Guatemala, a nation of some 17 million people, maintains close ties with Israel, in part due to Guatemala’s growing Evangelical population.
Last month, Guatemala became the second country to relocate its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.