Prepare for anything!

After more than a month of conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Vietnamese community in Israel is still safe because they live in areas far from the conflict zone. In Israel, there are about 500 overseas Vietnamese residing permanently and about 200 people working and studying short-term.

Even though the future was full of difficulties, we encouraged each other: Everything would be fine! My husband's parents also traveled over a hundred kilometers to visit their children and grandchildren.

We were worried about them because their house was only 10 kilometers from the Lebanese border. Every day we begged them to come and live with us so we could feel secure, but they only replied that they would come back when needed. Since the conflict began, he has always encouraged me, not the other way around.

Thư từ Israel: Chuẩn bị cho mọi tình huống! - Ảnh 1.

Israeli urban residents volunteer to help farmers harvest pomegranates in Kfar Menahem. Photo: FLASH90

It will take a long time for life to return to the normal it was before October 7, 2023. But everyone has to move on. Students have been back to school for days, but they have to learn an unwanted activity: how to avoid rockets! Adults also continue to work.

The conflict has prevented some 22,000 Palestinians from entering Israel to work, and thousands of Thai workers have returned home just in time for the harvest of many products. So a massive volunteer campaign has begun. A few days ago, my husband and his team at a high-tech company went to pick pomegranates for farmers.

Saving agricultural products also helps to prevent life in general from being affected too much, not wasting results and avoiding price hikes as well as a lack of vegetables and fruits in every family.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel and the Liaison Committee of the Vietnamese Association in Israel recently held an online meeting, connecting representatives of the Vietnamese community living, studying and working from the North, Central and South of Israel.

The meeting was attended by members of the media. During the meeting, a group of agricultural trainees living near the southern Shredot area, near the border with Gaza, recounted the early days of the conflict. So far, 15 trainees have been assisted in moving to safer areas. Some overseas Vietnamese and other trainees also spoke of their anxiety when they heard rocket sirens, but now they feel more reassured.

We were all happy to hear that our Vietnamese people were safe. Ms. Son Nguyen, a Vietnamese expatriate running a restaurant in Haifa, said her life had not changed much because it was quite far from the conflict zone. However, business and income had decreased because Israelis were limiting their trips out.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel Ly Duc Trung informed us that although the situation is currently quite safe, we must always be prepared for the worst case scenario if the conflict spreads out of control. Currently, foreign airlines have stopped operating in Israel.

One of the options being prepared by the embassy is to help people evacuate by road across the Jordanian border to a safe area. Of course, this is just a contingency situation and no one wants it to happen.

Really, right now we just wish for peace and good health!

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