International Rescue Unit

The ZAKA International Rescue Unit, based in Jerusalem, operates with a specially trained team of volunteer paramedics and search and rescue professionals, available 24/7. This team is ready to respond promptly to major international mass incidents wherever they occur. Under the leadership of Operations Manager Mati Goldstein, the ZAKA International Rescue Unit works closely with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and other government agencies.

ZAKA’s assistance during major international attacks (such as in Mombasa, Istanbul, and Taba) and natural disasters (such as the tsunami and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans) led the United Nations in 2005 to recognize ZAKA as an international humanitarian volunteer organization (one of only three Israeli organizations to hold this status).

This UN recognition allows ZAKA to offer emergency assistance even before the official delegation has left Israel, or before the host country has formally requested aid, or even when the country does not have diplomatic ties with Israel (for example, when ZAKA assisted in recovery efforts after a plane crash in Namibia and later trained the local forensic police).

To reduce response time to international mass incidents, ZAKA trains emergency response teams in local communities around the world. To date, ZAKA has established fully equipped and trained ZAKA International Rescue Units in, among others, the United States (New York and Lakewood), England (London and Manchester), Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mexico, Argentina, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Siberia, and Georgia. Volunteers participate in a five-day basic training program including certification as emergency medical responders; safety preparedness and response; mass incident management; honoring the deceased; working with forensic services; and emergency simulations. These local teams provide solutions to their own communities and assist on the ground with ZAKA International Rescue Unit volunteers based in Israel during major international mass incidents.