Military

Taiwan military plane lands in Santo Domingo with supplies for Haiti

ROC Central News Agency

2010/01/25 14:04:16

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Jan. 24 (CNA) A Taiwan Air Force transport plane landed Sunday at San Isidro Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, en route to earthquake-devastated Haiti to deliver relief supplies.

The C-130H transport plane, with six tons of medical and other supplies on board, arrived at San Isidro Military Airport at 11: 22 a. m. (local time).

Isaac Tsai, Taiwan's ambassador to the Dominican Republic, immediately handed over the cargo to his Haitian counterpart Ambassador Fritz N. Cineas. The supplies, which include pain relief agents, hemostats, flu medicine, bandages and one-touch medical devices, are scheduled to arrive by truck in Port-au-Prince, Haiti at 8:00 a.m. Monday (local time).

On behalf of the Haitian government, Cineas expressed appreciation for the generosity of President Ma Ying-jeou and the Taiwanese authorities in helping Haitian earthquake victims. Haiti's people will forever remember Taiwan's assistance, he said.

According to Tsai, 66 members of the TaiwanRoot Medical Peace Corps are currently carrying out relief operations in Haiti, while personnel from the Taiwan branch of World Vision will soon arrive in the Caribbean country.

Tsai promised that his embassy in Santo Domingo will provide the best possible logistical assistance to Taiwan relief workers bound for Haiti.

Asked whether the C-130H transport aircraft had made refueling stops at three U.S. military airports, an Air Force commander aboard the plane said he would report to the Taiwan people after completing the mission to Haiti.

"So far, it 90 percent completed," he said.

Asked why the imprint of the national flag on the plane was blacked out, he explained that it was done to avoid "complications" for the countries that do not have diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

"The same was done when a C-130H transport plane was dispatched to deliver aid to victims of the Asian tsunami," he noted.

(By S. H. Lin and Flor Wang) enditem /pc