Two medical clowns, Nimrod Eisenberg and Yaron Sancho Goshen from the "Dream Doctors" project, arrived in Taiwan at the beginning of the week for a humanitarian mission: assisting the victims of the earthquake that struck the country about two months ago. They arrived at the invitation of the Israeli delegation in Taiwan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In early April, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the city of Hualien in eastern Taiwan. It caused significant destruction, fatalities, and hundreds of injuries. After the devastating quake, there were hundreds of aftershocks, and many were forced to flee the disaster area and move to remote regions away from the epicenter.
Temporary refugee camps were set up for citizens who fled the quake areas. In coordination with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the head of the Israeli delegation in Taiwan, Maya Yaron, a delegation of two medical clowns from Israel was invited to assist and contribute their extensive experience in trauma treatment.
The clowns from the "Dream Doctors" association are experienced in humanitarian clowning work in disaster areas worldwide. Despite working around the clock since October 7, they did not hesitate to go on short notice to help overseas as well.
The Israeli medical clowns were instructed to perform three main tasks: work with children in schools and refugee centers to strengthen their personal resilience and boost morale. They collaborated with professionals such as teachers, psychologists, social workers, and other aid teams in the disaster area to teach through short workshops clowning techniques for empowerment and mental strengthening. They also trained local medical clowns in Taiwan with medical clowning tools for dealing with trauma situations, a field in which Israelis have extensive experience.
Nimrod Eisenberg said, "We perform for children suffering from anxiety in schools in the city. Our show includes clowning around the fear of earthquakes and coping methods in a funny and emotional release way. The place is fascinating, and the work is moving. There is a strong connection between the Taiwanese and the life situation of Israelis, against the backdrop of the difficult reality of constant uncertainty and endless fears."
Working in Disaster and War Zones
Since 2004, more than 40 humanitarian missions from Israel of medical clowns from the "Dream Doctors" association have been sent to disaster zones and war areas worldwide. These include humanitarian clowning missions to Thailand after the major tsunami (2004), Haiti after the earthquake (2010), Nepal (2015), the Bahamas after the severe hurricane (2019), Ukraine following the Russian invasion, and more.
Maya Yaron, Head of the Israeli Delegation in Taipei: "For many months, the Israeli delegation in Taipei has been engaged in intensive public relations work and activities related to the war against Hamas. Taiwan was one of the first to express support for Israel and stand by us after October 7. Since last month's major earthquake, we sought to contribute to Taiwan and show solidarity with the people of Hualien County who were directly affected by the earthquake. It was clear to us that even in times of war, it is important for the State of Israel to assist its friends around the world, and therefore we chose to bring the extraordinary delegation of medical clowns, hoping that through laughter and humor, the Taiwanese can return to the optimism and joy of life that characterizes them."