American Friends of Magen David Adom

Magen David Adom collects, processes, and stores 97% of Israel's national blood supply and the entirety required by the Israel Defense Forces.

46 blood mobiles are stationed six days a week in parks, outside schools, in neighborhoods, at factories, by shopping malls, and at IDF bases, and have been active nearly round the clock during the COVID-19 lockdowns. About 93% of all blood collection take place in blood mobiles, and the remainder at emergency medical stations nationwide.

Israel's blood supply is vulnerable to external threats - terrorism, biological and chemical warfare, and at risk of being destroyed by a natural or other man-made disasters. The country's population is rapidly growing and there is heightened demand for donated blood. The state-the-art Marcus National Blood Services Center, the world's first fully shielded blood bank, opened in May 2022. The new building will double the blood processing capability, and safeguard the blood supply.

MDA first responders trains regularly to enter crisis mode – whenever and wherever disaster strikes. They have been forced to contend with every worst-case scenario and have had exposure to more mass casualty incidents than any country in the world. On February 24th when Russia invaded Ukraine, MDA was prepared to respond that day, because they were prepared the day before.

MDA takes its disaster management and humanitarian relief expertise beyond its borders. In 2010, when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked Haiti with an epicenter just 16 miles from Port-au-Prince, MDA was there first, setting up a field hospital – and first responders stayed for weeks in the aftermath. Paramedics initiated search and rescue and treated victims for life-threatening injuries when a typhoon battered the Philippines in 2013. MDA has been on the ground in Ukraine, operating a field clinic in Moldova, evacuating the injured from war-torn areas, and helping them flee to safety in Israel.