Dear Melita,
We are pleased to inform you that today the Claims Conference announced approximately $13.5 million in funding from the German Government, to launch the Holocaust Survivor Vaccine Assistance Program (HSVAP). The program is intended to help address the challenges survivors face understanding vaccine choices, accessing vaccine appointments, getting translations, and setting up transportation to and from appointments. The Claims Conference will deploy these funds leveraging our existing network of social service agency partners in the more than 40 countries around the world.
Imamo zadovoljstvo da vas obavijestimo da je danas Claims konferencija dobila poseban fond od njemačke vlade da se nabavi program cijepljenja vakcinom za osobe koje su preživjele
Holokaust. Taj program treba pomoći preživjelima da izaberu vakcinu, da se dogovore za primanje vakcine i da se osigura njihov prijevoz do mjesta cijepljenja. Taj će se fond poslati socijalnim službama u više od 40 zemalja u svijetu.
Moramo se posebno zahvaliti našem specijalnom pregovaraču ambasadoru Stuart Einzenstatu i njegovom timu..
dalje čitajte u originalnom pismu:
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“This added support from the German government
will expand our efforts to over forty countries in which Holocaust survivors
live. Once national governments make vaccines available, we will be there to
ensure that every survivor knows their options, has access to vaccines, and does
not feel abandoned. We are very appreciative that the German government
responded to our request for support for this essential funding in such a
positive way.”
Amb. Stuart Eizenstat, Claims Conference Special
Negotiator
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The Claims Conference
Allocations team has been working diligently with agencies around the world to
identify any issues survivors are having in obtaining their vaccinations. During
the past few weeks it became abundantly clear that the issues faced by survivors
in many countries is not always the availability of the vaccine but rather that
there is no system in place to ensure access to available vaccines through
transportation, homebound coordination and support, both physical and emotional.
This additional funding earmarked specifically to meet these challenges will
ensure that Holocaust survivors are not abandoned as we emerge from the social
isolation and dark times of this past
year.
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By
virtue of their ages alone, survivors of the Holocaust are at higher risk of
dying of COVID-19. Many suffer serious medical issues related to early childhood
malnutrition and mistreatment at the hands of the Nazis during World War II.
While
many of the 340,000 living survivors around the world have been vaccinated,
thousands still are awaiting their shots after encountering difficulties with
transportation to vaccination centers, the logistics of organizing an
appointment or other problems, said Greg Schneider, Executive Vice President of
the New York-based Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against
Germany.
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In
Israel, we have partnered with United Hatzalah to reach out to the 22,000 most
disabled Holocaust survivors and offer each and every one transportation – free
of charge – to a vaccination site. l. Over the course of
the coming months, the HSVAP will potentially allow us personal contact with an
estimated 200,000 individual Holocaust survivors worldwide....
We all know
survivors faced many challenges this past year with stay-at-home orders,
increasing social isolation and decreasing access to vital services. We look
forward to a brighter tomorrow and the potential to meet with survivors again in
person someday soon.
With wishes that you and yours are in good health,
and with blessings of Refuah Sh'lemah for any who are ill and a
Chag Pesach Sameach.
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