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Taiwan delivers more relief supplies to Philippines

ROC Central News Agency

2013/11/13 16:20:45

Taipei, Nov. 13 (CNA) Taiwan delivered an additional 15 tons of relief supplies to the typhoon-ravaged Philippines on Wednesday after sending about 13 tons of relief goods a day earlier, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Wednesday.

Two C-130 military cargo planes airlifted the goods directly to Cebu in the central Philippines from Hsinchu air base in the morning, the ministry said in a statement.

The MND also dispatched two C-130s with relief supplies to the Philippines on Tuesday afternoon. The aircraft returned to Taiwan that night.

Responding to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) donation drive on Monday, local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and charities collected about 100 tons of goods worth over NT$50 million (US$1.69 million) over the next 24 hours.

The MOFA said the relief supplies, including blankets, tents, canvas sheets, drinking water and cooking utensils, will be delivered to parts of the Philippines devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan as soon as possible.

The C-130 transport planes are transporting the relief supplies to the Philippines in batches in line with the country's needs, the ministry said in a statement.

It added that it will cover the NT$70 million it will cost to send the 100 tons of aid to the Philippines by air.

President Ma Ying-jeou suggested earlier in the day that Taiwan could deliver all remaining relief supplies to the Philippines via a military transport vessel, if necessary, to get all the goods to ravaged areas in a single trip.

Foreign Minister David Lin said both airlifts and maritime shipments were feasible options and that his ministry would evaluate the situation.

Control Yuan President Wang Chien-hsien said, meanwhile, that he and his wife have decided to donate NT$100,000 to relief programs in the Philippines.

'My colleagues at the Control Yuan have launched a fundraising campaign, with each staff member voluntarily donating a day's pay to help Filipino typhoon survivors,' Wang said, adding that he looked forward to seeing more people in Taiwan join the donation drive.

Taiwan's government has already pledged to donate US$200,000 to help finance relief projects in the Philippines.

Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the central Philippines on Nov. 8, leaving behind a trail of ruin and devastation.

Between 80 and 90 percent of the buildings in the worst-hit Leyte province were damaged or destroyed.

Serious shortages of food and water ensued, and the area around the city of Tacloban has fallen into a state of anarchy, with looting rampant.

(By Angelea Tsai, Hsieh Chia-chen and Sofia Wu)
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