Taiwan pledges donation for disaster relief efforts in Japan

2018/07/11

Taiwan will donate 20 million yen (US$180,000) to aid disaster relief efforts following flooding and landslides triggered by torrential rain in western Japan, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs July 9.
 
 The donation is an expression of heartfelt concern and sympathy on behalf of the government and people of Taiwan, the MOFA said, adding that it also demonstrates the close bond of friendship between the two sides. It is hoped that the funds can assist in rebuilding affected areas and help those affected get back on their feet as soon as possible, the ministry added.
 
 Taiwan and Japan have consistently offered each other assistance in times of need, the MOFA said. Recent examples include Japan dispatching a rescue team after the magnitude 6 earthquake Feb. 6 in eastern Taiwan’s Hualien County, and Taiwan sending relief aid following the April 2016 temblors on Kyushu Island.
 
 President Tsai Ing-wen, Premier Lai Ching-te and MOFA Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu have sent messages conveying condolences and pledging support to the people of Japan through various platforms. The premier, along with Presidential Office Secretary-General Chen Chu and Frank Hsieh, Taiwan’s representative to Japan, also voiced their sympathies at the annual summit for Taiwan and Japan council members July 7 in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City.
 
 Since the beginning of July, western Japan has been devastated by the heaviest torrential rains in decades. According to state-funded Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK), the death toll has reached 127, with 60 missing and 2 million under evacuation orders.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=2&post=137680)