UN health agency gives Israel top marks for disaster relief

GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. health agency has given Israel top marks for its disaster relief capabilities, lauding the unparalleled ability of the Mideast country to deploy full medical teams to treat the injured and the sick after natural disasters or outbreaks of viruses.

The WHO certification program of emergency medical teams sets standards of care for international response to health emergencies such as the Ebola virus in West Africa, Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013 or Haiti's earthquake in 2010.

Last week, the World Health Organization program gave Israel's team the first-ever top grade for its ability to deploy field hospitals, provide medical services and be self-sufficient in a crisis zone.

Norton noted how U.S. support for Cuba's deployment of medical staff to West Africa during the Ebola crisis "helped pave the way for normalization" of ties between countries, alluding to renewed U.S.-Cuban diplomatic ties.