Israel has dispatched a third shipment of aid to Burma (Myanmar) and another shipment to China, as well, following natural disasters in both places.

The third shipment to Myanmar included medical personnel, training specialists and logisticians who will be deployed to the area hit by Cyclone Nagris in order to direct and continue IsraAID's relief efforts in the field there. Almost 25,000 people were killed in the hurricane.

Equipment to China

The latest shipment to China, where an earthquake devastated the Schezuan province includes 90 tons of medical equipment, water purification systems, emergency generators, tents and gear for refugees, and clothes.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry raised $1.5 million in aid, following the earthquake, from Israeli companies and American Jewish donors through the United Israel Appeal.

China turned down an Israeli offer to send search and rescue teams to the region.

"What Israel is doing is the minimum that we can do to express the warm relations between Israel and China," Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said. "Israel's willingness to help out wherever a disaster occurs is an expression of the humanitarian side of Israel's relations with the rest of the nations in the world."

The Chinese earthquake left at least 62,664 people dead, 23,775 missing and about 5 million homeless. Thousands are now threatened by damaged dams that are threatening to collapse.

Two Teams to Myanmar

IsraAID has had two teams in the delta region of Myanmar since four days after the cyclone hit. They have distributed over 10 tons of relief items and trained more than 500 local medical personnel.

Funding the Myanmar efforts were the American Jewish Committee, CMS Companies, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, B'nai B'rith International, Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and The American Joint Distribution Committee.