As war with Hezbollah looms, Israeli cities eye emergency food distribution plan

Cities in northern Israel working with National Food Security Initiative to prepare emergency rations if supply chain disrupted amid looming fears of full-scale war on Lebanon border.

By World Israel News Staff

Municipalities across northern Israel are working with an Israeli charity to prepare for possible large-scale enduring disruptions to the food supply chain in the event that simmering tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border escalate into a full-blown war.

Amidst the continued fears of a significant escalation in the ongoing war, the National Food Security Initiative, in coordination with M

Working in conjunction with the National Food Security Initiative – a charitable program run by Israel’s oldest private social charity group, Colel Chabad – cities in Israel’s Galilee have designed an emergency plan that would distribute cooked meals and emergency boxes of food staples, baby formula, and other goods to individuals and families in need.

Local welfare agencies are preparing for a variety of possible wartime scenarios to ensure their activities can continue to operate.

The plan recognizes that a widespread and sustained attack by the Hezbollah terror organization in Lebanon would introduce multiple challenges including human resource shortages resulting from a further call-up into the reserves, closure of schools which are a key distribution point, as well as a reduction in the ability to move around the relevant areas. The plan also recognizes that the situation could demand even further evacuations in coordination with the IDF Homefront Command.

Israel is reportedly prepared to house tens of thousands of additional evacuees from the north in large tent cities, should Hezbollah launch a sustained large-scale rocket campaign against northern Israeli towns.

While plans are constantly being updated in response to the changing needs, the current response is being coordinated and beginning implementation for northern cities including, Tzfat, Nahariya, Hatzor Glilit, Akko, Tiberias, Karmiel and Maalot.

A major obstacle also revolves around fears of a significant supply shortage that could result from further damage to farming areas and direct attacks on warehouses and factories. Supplies of food items, in particular fresh foods, could also be directed to military forces, limiting some access for the civilian use.

The emergency plan drafted by local authorities considers serious communications obstacles that would limit the ability to most effectively dispatch meals and food items where they are most needed.

The plan calls for increased coordination, often using manual forms of communication, between the main implementing agencies; Colel Chabad and International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) who will communicate directly with local municipal welfare authorities.

A similar proposal was already implemented in cooperation with The Jewish Federations of North America, addressing the immediate needs of the southern communities and evacuees at the beginning of the war.

“We are living in a period of deep uncertainty, and this demands that we have everything possible in place to prepare for all types of scenarios,” said Rabbi Mendy Blau, Israel Director of Colel Chabad, Israel’s longest running social services organization founded by the first Chabad Rebbe in 1788. “Our mandate is to be sure we are addressing the needs, and should the situation change, we can immediately implement a plan, even as we hope and pray that none of this will be necessary.”

While many families and individuals have already evacuated the northern border areas, elderly and handicapped residents could face far greater challenges in quickly moving from their homes. Particular attention is being placed to the needs of those communities with specific plans drafted in case of increased evacuations.

“The past ten months have taught us the importance of being prepared for every possible scenario and ensuring that when people need our help we can quickly, effectively and efficiently be there for them,” said Yael Eckstein, President of IFCJ. “Food security is a critical need at all times, but even more so during times of instability and tension. Having the infrastructure on the ground, ready, is crucial for those who rely upon us for their basic needs.”

The implementing agencies have already begun transporting over 10,000 ‘ICE -In case of Emergency’ boxes of dry goods and basic food items to distribution centers in the north with over 10,000 more boxes ready should there be a demand for a quick increase in supplies. All efforts are being coordinated together with local and national authorities to prioritize need and ensure the plan is being implemented as safely and effectively as possible.

food banksHezbollahnorthern Israel