Uncategorized | Operation Ethiopia

Honored to receive Award from SID Israel

Elisa_2 — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 03:47:42 +0000

We were very honored to receive an award from SID [Society for International Development] Israel at their annual meeting this week in recognition of Operation Ethiopia’s “notable achievements in the field of international development and humanitarian aid.”

We were thrilled to receive our award alongside United Hatzalah of Israel, Fair Planet, and Engergiya Global.

SID Israel is the umbrella organization for the Israeli professional community working in humanitarian aid and development. It is an honor to be part of this amazing group of Israeli NGOS, all dedicated to exporting Israeli skill, talent and know-how to people and communities in need around the world.

Providing Needed Surgeries this week in Ethiopia:

Elisa_2 — Tue, 17 Dec 2024 07:55:22 +0000

This week Prof. Morris Hartstein, MD, Founding Director of Operation Ethiopia returned to Addis Ababa to operate on 14 children and adults needing complex oculoplastic surgeries in Addis Ababa. The patients had been screened and consulted on during our November Medical Mission and identified as needing surgical follow-up. Alongside Dr. Asrat Sime who trained with Operation Ethiopian in Israel, Dr. Hartstein completed all the surgeries. Our doctor training program extends beyond each doctor’s training period in Israel, and this surgical effort is just one example. We continue to do hands-on training and cooperate to treat patients in Ethiopia.

Donations are now tax-deductible in Israel and the USA

Elisa_2 — Fri, 06 Dec 2024 08:07:50 +0000

We have completed the two-year long process of getting tax-deductible status as an NGO in Israel! All donations to Operation Ethiopia are now tax-deductible in both the USA and Israel. We rely entirely on donations to do our life-changing work in Ethiopia. All of our Israeli doctors and surgeons are Volunteers, and our grassroots organization provides DIRECT care to people in poverty in Ethiopia who otherwise would go without.

While War Rages in Israel, we Continue our Work in Ethiopia:

Gila — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 08:14:43 +0000

Despite the war in Israel, and air flights suspended between Ethiopia and Israel, Operation Ethiopia continues to FIGHT BLINDNESS in Ethiopia. Last week we ran a Cataract Campaign in Mekele, Tigray region where together with our valued partner HCP Cure Blindness we RESTORED Eyesight to 1230 people!

As a Jewish and Israeli humanitarian organization we remain fully committed to providing quality Eyecare, including the treatment and prevention of blindness and eye disease to ALL in Ethiopia, both Jews and non-Jews.

We Restored Eyesight to 400 Blind People in Northern Ethiopia

Gila — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 09:15:00 +0000

In July 2023, Operation Ethiopia restored eyesight to 400 blind people in northern Ethiopia suffering from dense untreated cataracts, over the course of one week. Three surgeons operated simultaneously from morning to evening at Ayela hopsital in Azzezo and the impact was tremendous.

Blindness not only affects the individual, making it difficult for them to work, live independently, maintain social connections, but puts a burden on the entire family, with economic and social impact.

Watch to see this incredible effort.

Our valuable partners in this tremendous campaign were HCP Cure Blindness and the University of Gondar Tertiary Eyecare Center.

Watch our Israeli Volunteer team treat 2,000 patients in Northern Ethiopia!

Gila — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 09:15:44 +0000

We returned from our Operation Ethiopia July medical mission where our Israeli volunteer team together with Ethiopian translators and young adults from the local Jewish community treated over 2,000 patients in rural villages!

Working hard morning til night our 14-person Israeli volunteer team which included three Ophthalmologists, three EMTs, native Israelis and US olim, ranging in age from 19 – 60+ screened for glaucoma and cataracts, distributed thousands of units of needed medications and eyeglasses, provided primary eyecare and more to patients living in rural villages.

WATCH our incredibly efficient and well executed direct-to-patient eyecare in action! See us travel to Azzezo, Tedda, Maksegnit, Kola Diba and the Jewish compound in Gondar to bring eyecare to thousands who otherwise have none.

Meeting with the Ethiopian Ambassador to Israel: “G-D Will Pay You”:

Elisa_2 — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 10:11:00 +0000

We were so honored to be invited to the Ethiopian Embassy today in Tel Aviv to meet the new Ethiopian Ambassador to Israel, Tesfaye Yetayeh Anteneh.

After discussing how we can expand our Eyecare in Ethiopia and establish connections with the Health Minister to further our activities, the Ambassador expressed his sincere appreciation for our work saying that Operation Ethiopia truly “helps the helpless.”

He then taught us the saying “G-D will pay you.” “The people you treat are so poor, they cannot THANK YOU with money. But they are a RELIGIOUS PEOPLE and they believe that G-D WILL GIVE YOU YOUR REWARD, and that is the highest form of payment. So they say ‘G-D will pay you.’ When you give them back their EYESIGHT it is EVERYTHING, when you treat their problems, it helps so much.”

We were inspired by Ambassador Tesfaye Yetayeh Anteneh’s words as we prepare to leave for our medical mission in 6 days!

DCR Surgical Mission in Ethiopia a Huge Success!

Elisa_2 — Sun, 21 May 2023 08:43:00 +0000

After months of planning, this past week’s DCR surgery campaign in Northern Ethiopia was TREMENDOUSLY IMPACTFUL and incredibly rewarding!

We PERFORMED OVER 100 tear duct bypass surgeries on patients from young children to seniors who’d been unable to get surgery and had therefore developed Dacryocystitis – infection in their eyes and faces, and in some cases cellulitis. Our surgical team worked morning to night all week to perform the complex surgeries. Prof. Morris Hartstein led the surgical team which included three local Ethiopian doctors – one of whom Dr. Hartstein had trained in Israel as part of Operation Ethiopia’s physician training program.

OR conditions in Ethiopia are quite different than in Israel – no suction, cauterization, general anaesthesia (for adults), or sometimes even lighting, but we adapt.

We are THRILLED to have provided treatment and relief to so many people!

The Israeli Ambassador praised our work for helping so many indigent people, and for our humanitarian work helping to enhance ties between Israel and Ethiopia. The Israeli Embassy in Ethiopia produced a video about our mission and you can watch it here!