NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief, an Israel-based humanitarian medical organization, has deployed an emergency delegation to Mozambique following floods that have affected more than 800,000 people and displaced over 100,000 across the country’s southern and central provinces, it said in a press release on Thursday.
The multidisciplinary Israeli team said it was operating mobile clinics in remote, hard-to-reach areas and establishing care centers in displacement camps, delivering urgent medical treatment and psychosocial support to vulnerable communities.
“Medical and psychosocial relief is often the first step in helping communities stand back on their feet,” said Alice Miller, CEO of NATAN. “Providing reliable, professional healthcare in the immediate aftermath gives people dignity, reassurance and the confidence that recovery is possible.”
According to local authorities, the flooding severely damaged roads, bridges, power lines and water systems, hampering relief efforts and isolating entire communities. Officials have warned that the death toll could rise as heavy rains continued and a nationwide red alert remained in effect.
“The latest flooding is among the worst Mozambique has seen in years, with officials warning the death toll could rise as more heavy rains loom and a nationwide red alert remains in force,” NATAN said.
NATAN previously sent a mission to Mozambique in 2019 after Cyclone Idai devastated the region. During that mission, Israeli volunteers reached remote flooded villages by helicopter to provide emergency care and clean drinking water.
NATAN’s history
Headquartered in Tel Aviv, NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief draws on a network of medical and mental-health professionals who deploy rapidly when disasters overwhelm local systems, providing care aimed at stabilizing health, reducing suffering and supporting recovery.
The organization has also led mental health support efforts in displacement camps in cooperation with the United Nations, training local social workers and students in trauma relief to ensure long-term resilience.
NATAN was founded in 2004 as an Israeli all-volunteer nonprofit humanitarian organization. It was established by entrepreneur Henry Elkeslassy along with several friends and named in honor of Israeli humanitarian activist Abie Nathan to carry on his legacy of global aid.
In her role at NATAN, Miller oversees global disaster responses and has led the NGO’s expanded humanitarian efforts, including in crisis zones following the Oct. 7, 2023, war, directing thousands of volunteers in medical, dental and psychosocial relief.
Miller, who was born in South Africa and made aliyah with her family at the age of six, is a pioneer in advancing gender equality in the Israel Defense Forces, known for a landmark legal battle that opened the Israeli Air Force pilot course to women.
She holds a degree in aerospace engineering from the Israel Institute of Technology-Technion and an MBA from Tel Aviv University, and served as an officer in the IAF before embarking on a career in aerospace and technology.
