By Rosa Doherty
1 min read
By Rosa Doherty
Members of a small Jewish community sent aid to victims of the earthquake which killed more than 300 people in Ecuador.
The 7.8-magnitude quake shook the country's Pacific coast last Saturday.
The 1,000-strong community of Guayaquil, which is hundreds of miles inland from the epicentre, organised trucks of food to be sent to families who had lost their homes and belongings.
Rabbi Uriel Tawil, Chabad of Ecuador director, said: "We immediately went to the grocery and began buying food to send.
"Even though it is far from where the Jewish people live and far from where a Jewish tourist may even visit, we know that it is at times like these when everyone must do whatever he or she can to help others in dire need.
"There is a lot of looting right now, so we are in close coordination with the military to determine when will be the best time for us to bring our supplies, ensuring that they will get to the people who need them safely and securely."
Aid agency IsraAID also sent a team of 15 search and rescue professionals and medical staff to the country.
