CALI, COLOMBIA (VINnews)— An Israeli humanitarian delegation known as the Alliance of Brothers, led by the Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command in cooperation with the Defense Ministry and Foreign Ministry, arrived in Colombia on Friday and has begun operating at impact sites following a major earthquake that struck the country.

The Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Embassy in Colombia, under Ambassador Alon Lavi, made advance preparations to provide the team with diplomatic and administrative support.

Upon arrival, delegation members began working with local professional authorities and officials at several sites. They are operating at two major impact locations, assisting efforts to locate and rescue people trapped under rubble alongside numerous local volunteers.

At the city’s university hospital, which was damaged in the quake, Home Front Command engineers are collaborating with local professionals on complex efforts to advise and guide the removal of rubble. The goal is to free any remaining trapped individuals and restore the damaged wing for use.

At the same time, team members have started mapping and assessing buildings damaged in the earthquake in cooperation with local authorities. The work aims to help develop a situational assessment and set priorities for ongoing response efforts.

The delegation is also assisting local officials in establishing a data management system to support situational assessment and decision-making.

The Israeli team will continue operating on the ground, making its knowledge, experience and capabilities available to Colombian authorities to help save lives and address the consequences of the earthquake.