May 8, 2015
No. 090
In the wake of the strong earthquake that devastated Nepal on April 25, the Republic of China government has lived up to its humanitarian spirit of relief without borders and its role as a humanitarian aid provider. The ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its representative office in India—the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center （TECC）—and other government agencies have mobilized and brought together private-sector resources to assist in Nepal’s relief effort. As of May 7, public and private organizations had raised funds totaling NT$47.61 million, sent 14 relief and medical teams comprising nearly 200 people to Nepal, and collected 47 tons of material supplies. These acts of compassion have earned recognition and appreciation from the Nepalese government and people. They also received extensive coverage in international media, drawing spotlight to Taiwan’s role as a humanitarian aid provider and enhancing the nation’s image.
Soon after the earthquake, MOFA and TECC India activated an emergency response plan to assist ROC nationals traveling in Nepal. A communication network is in place for recording and locating missing nationals, a “Love from Taiwan to Nepal” archive has been established online to document relief efforts in Nepal, and a group text messaging system has been set up to help trace nationals missing in Nepal. Through these measures, the ROC government has kept track of disaster updates and the whereabouts of ROC nationals in Nepal, offering assistance when needed. Out of the 250 nationals in Nepal for whom a search was requested, 249 were confirmed safe as of 10 a.m. on May 9. MOFA and TECC India are working through a variety of channels to locate the remaining individual.
Taiwan governmental and nongovernmental organizations have sent 14 relief teams comprising more than 190 people to Nepal with 22 tons of emergency supplies. They include the Taiwan International Health Action（TaiwanIHA）, Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation (conducting a disaster survey), Dharma Drum Mountain, Yayasan Buddha Tzu Chi Indonesia, Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps （TRMPC）, the Bodhisattva Temple in Taichung’s Dali, Landseed International Medical Group— Landseed Hospital, World Vision Taiwan, Taiwan Lions Clubs International District 300-E2, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Cathay General Hospital, and Tri-Service General Hospital. Joint endeavors include an NGO relief team formed by the Buddha’s Light International Association ROC, Fo Guang Shan Compassion Foundation, ROC Red Cross Society, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and International Headquarters SAR, Taiwan; and a medical team formed by TRMPC, the Ling Jiou Mountain Buddhist Foundation, and Taiwan Health Corps. In addition to maintaining close contact with the NGOs, MOFA and TECC India provided them with various forms of assistance such as visa application and customs clearance and delivery of material supplies. MOFA held a press conference at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on April 28 prior to the departure of the joint NGO relief team in order to keep all sectors of society informed of the charitable actions by Taiwan NGOs.
Following the earthquake, the ROC government promptly extended its condolences to Nepal through TECC India. It also announced a donation of US$300,000 to Nepal’s relief effort. The Ministry of Health and Welfare （MOHW） set up three exclusive accounts on April 26 for a month-long campaign to raise domestic and overseas donations, which would later be forwarded by MOFA to Nepal. At noon on May 3, on behalf of the ROC government, Representative to India Tien Chung-kwang presented US$300,000 to Nepalese Vice President Parmanand Jha, who expressed appreciation for the generosity of the ROC government and private sector. As of May 7, the ROC government and NGOs had raised NT$47.61 million, which included US$300,000 （NT$9.08 million）from the government, 20,000 euros （NT$670,000） from the ROC Embassy to the Holy See, NT$27.14 million remitted to MOHW accounts （including NT$1 million from the Taiwan Soka Association, NT$3 million from the Bliss and Wisdom Foundation, and NT$1 million from the ROC I-Kuan Tao Association）, and NT$10.72 million to the ROC Red Cross Society relief fund. These figures are expected to increase.
Concerning donation of relief materials, on April 28, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in conjunction with Far Glory Air FTZ and Shimeng International Freight Transport Co., announced that storage and customs charges for goods being donated for disaster relief would be waived. That same day, MOFA announced the location for donations and began posting staff at the storage location to accept donations and give donation receipts. As of May 7, individuals and organizations had responded to the call, among them Ling Jiou Mountain Buddhist Foundation, Speedtech Energy Co., Ltd., Ritek Corporation, DDM Social Welfare and Charity Foundation, Fo Guang Shan Compassion Foundation, Buddha’s Light International Association R.O.C., the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China （Taiwan）, Motech Industries Inc., and the Republic of China I-Kuan Tao Association.
Donors gave some 47 tons of relief supplies, including tents, blankets, sleeping bags, medical supplies, solar-powered lamps, and masks. MOFA, acting on the advice of Nepal’s government, had tents and sleeping bags delivered to the disaster area on May 5. Other collected items, including powdered milk, infant foods, and waterproof cloth will be sent to Nepal as soon as possible. The massive scope of the disaster, difficulties with both road and telephone infrastructure, and damage to the runway at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu due to the large number of airplanes delivering relief supplies led the Nepalese authorities to impose new regulations on passenger and cargo flight landings, which had been the greatest headache for those seeking to help with relief efforts.
To serve citizens stranded in Nepal, Representative to India Tien Chung-kwang and Secretary Sophie Chang are to remain in Nepal to provide assistance. MOFA will also dispatch other personnel as needed to the area to provide support. Many citizens who had been stranded in Nepal have already returned home. The TECC in India has, meanwhile, negotiated with four sites to act as contact points and temporary shelters—two associated with I-Kuan Tao’s Kathmandu branch, Fo Guang Shan Monastery’s Nepal branch, and the World League for Freedom and Democracy’s Nepal branch. These organizations will also work to provide needed supplies.
Related information may be found on the MOFA and TECC in India official websites.
Citizens requiring help in Nepal are advised to contact officials at the temporary Kathmandu sub-branch of TECC in India: Sophie Chang at +977-981-338-9898 and Lukas Hsu at +977-986-048-1136.
The government of the Republic of China hopes that relief efforts in disaster areas in Nepal proceed smoothly and that the people of Nepal may return to their normal lives as soon as possible. MOFA separately thanks citizens, NGOs, and charitable organizations that have helped the nation play the role of a provider of international humanitarian aid by contributing to its relief drive or becoming involved in relief work in Nepal. (E)