BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Government of the Republic of China on Taiwan has reaffirmed its commitment to the recovery efforts in Haiti following the January12 catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake.
When news of the earthquake in Haiti spread around the world, the Taiwan government dispatched the National Fire Agency Special Search and Rescue Team and announced a donation of US $5 million to lend a helping hand to Haiti, one of its 23 diplomatic allies.
According to the First Secretary at the St. Kitts and Nevis-based Taiwan Embassy, Hans Chang, his country will continue to assist Haiti because they understand the devastating impact that such natural disasters can have on a nation’s infrastructure and hope for future development.
“The immediate actions by the Taiwan government and its humanitarian relief societies subsequently have earned the appreciation of the people of Haiti and the respect of the international community. As one of the nations that frequently endure earthquakes and typhoons, Taiwan and its people fully understand the devastation caused,” Hans noted in a February 3 release.
The release informed that five emergency rescue and medical teams, over five thousand kilograms of equipment and two search-and-rescue dogs arrived in Port-au-Prince over the two week period following the earthquake.
Other donations to the devastated country include 84 tons of emergency medical supplies, food, potable water, clothing, tents, simple lighting equipment and 200 tons of rice.
As recent as Monday (Feb. 1), Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou landed in Dominican Republic with 7 tons of medical and relief equipment on his way back from a visit to Honduras to support the people of Haiti in a time of greatest need.
Chang told SKNVibes that the response was necessarily rapid, adding that his country will remain committed to the “ongoing restoration” of Haiti.
