Relief aid from Taiwan arrives in Philippines
ROC Central News Agency
2013/11/12 22:31:41
Manila, Nov. 12 (CNA) Two Taiwanese C-130 military cargo planes carrying relief supplies arrived in the central Philippine city of Cebu Tuesday evening to distribute supplies to victims of the devastation wrought by Super Typhoon Haiyan.
The supplies were received at a simple ceremony presided over by Central Command chief Lt. Gen Roy Deveraturda and Marcial Fernandez, an assistant regional head of the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Deveraturda later expressed gratitude in a phone call placed to officials at Taiwan's representative office in the Philippines.
As part of international relief efforts to the battered region, the two planes took off from an air base in Hsinchu early in the day, loaded with instant rice packets, instant noodles, bottled water, water purifiers, blankets and tents.
The supplies are meant for the estimated 700,000 displaced victims left on the streets of Cebu due to Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest tropical storms ever to make landfall. Unofficial estimates say the death toll from Haiyan could hit 10,000 following its ravaging of central Philippines over the weekend.
Once the relief supplies had been unloaded, the two planes took off at around 8:40 p.m. to return to Taiwan.
Taiwan announced Nov. 10 that it would donate US$200,000 toward relief efforts in the Philippines, where hundreds of thousands now lack access to basic necessities and clothing.
Taiwan previously pledged US$100,000 to the Philippines in October, following a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in the same region.
The unofficial relations between the two countries had been strained over the shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman in disputed waters but have gradually returned to normal in recent months. (Emerson Lim and Y.L. Kao)
Enditem/WH
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