ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF

The Edmond de Rothschild Foundation granted an emergency donation of NIS 1 million for mental healthcare for children in southern Israel, the foundation announced on Thursday.

The donation will help NATAL - Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center - and the Israeli Trauma Coalition train students in relevant fields to backup mental health hotlines and increase options for individual treatment from psychologists in communities in southern Israel which don't have resilience centers.

"Since the beginning of the security incidents, the number of people affected by trauma, including many children, has risen dramatically," said Deputy chairman of the board of governors of the foundation, Miki Kliger. "Professionals estimate that in the coming months there will be a significant increase in the number of children and adults who will need psychological assistance. Immediate emotional support is known to increase resilience and reduce long-term damage."

"The Rothschild family, who side with society in Israel routinely and of course in times of emergency, see it as a great privilege to contribute to facilitating the children's coping with the situation," added Kliger.

"This special contribution is another step in the Rothschild family's pioneering efforts to assist Israeli society - for about 140 years, and of course also now, in the current security situation in the State of Israel," said Tal Sagi Faran, director-general of the Edmond de Rothschild Foundation. "It should be noted that over the past year, the Edmond de Rothschild Foundation has provided emergency assistance in the amount of NIS 70 million to equip hospitals across the country in the face of the coronavirus outbreak."