A magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck Southeast Asia, on Sunday, 26 Dec. 2004, causing catastrophic damage to the region.

As of early Sunday morning, the situation center of the Foreign Ministry, as well as its missions in Bangkok, New Delhi, and Bombay have been functioning on an emergency basis. Concurrently, crisis centers have been established in Phuket and Karabai Koh-Phiphi, Thailand.

An emergency medical team was dispatched to Sri Lanka, the country hardest hit by the quake, with the purpose of administering first aid on behalf of the State of Israel. Israel intends to send food as well as medical supplies to the countries hit by the quake.

Israeli medical relief mission heads to Sri Lanka / Haaretz

Israel on Monday dispatched an aid mission to Sri Lanka, where over 10,000 people have died from Sunday's earthquake and coastal flooding, and instructed the military to ready another for Thailand.

Israel searches for its many missing and sends help in tsunami disaster / Israelinsider

Israeli Foreign Ministry officials and doctors flew to Southeast Asia on Monday to search for missing Israeli tourists and provide assistance to countries struck by a massive earthquake and tidal waves.

Israeli campaign opens to assist victims / The Jerusalem Post

The National Council for Voluntarism in Israel, an umbrella organization for Israeli Non Government Organization, has opened a crisis fund to help send Israeli relief teams to assist victims of the earthquake in East Asia.