The Emergency Teams that are now successfully operating in the unrecognized Bedouin localities were established by AJEEC due to significant need and the understanding that the routine life in an unrecognized village is characterized by constant emergencies. Lack of infrastructure, environmental hazards, forced home demolitions, lack of protection from missile fire, high infant mortality rates, diseases, and chronic birth defects are just a partial list of the elements that make up the painful, problematic, and vulnerable reality of the Bedouin society. This reality directly affects the physical health of the residents of the unrecognized villages and their ability to acquire education, integrate into the labor market, and function as active citizens in society.
Emergency teams were established with the understanding that building community resilience and creating a preparedness framework for emergencies will help reduce the impact of these problems, while also preventing some of them, and will later allow for better functioning of daily life on an individual and societal level.
The teams operate in the “Tzachi” format: the resilience team model operated in Jewish localities. The teams consist of young people from the local community and have become central community anchors in these areas. The teams undergo training, practice emergency situations, and are on standby 24 hours a day. They are ready to help in any emergency: fire, accidents, weather damage, health emergency, or security incidents. In each of these cases, the teams arrive at the scene of the incident, manage the situation, and then offer guidance to the family and help them return to normal routine.
The training includes, among other things, unique workshops for women and children to help them deal with emergencies and even prevent them. A model of regional cooperation was also created between the various teams, the neighboring authorities, and localities.
The project is executed in collaboration with the Departments of Social Services in the various localities.
