Government spurns two NGOs while raising funds

Two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were absent from a government-led campaign to set up a joint fund for humanitarian aid for Iraq yesterday, triggering suspicions over the feasibility of such relief work.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday led 18 local NGOs to hold a press conference to publicize a one-month joint campaign to collect donations, both in cash and relief materials, for humanitarian aid for Iraq.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新) said the ministry decided to attach a logo entitled Love From Taiwan to collected or purchased materials to showcase the source of the relief materials.

The design of the logo was open for competition to the public, officials said.

Chien the overseas representative offices notified the ministry that five goods were identified as being needed in Iraq: water, flour, salt, sugar and baby powdered milk.

Chien not explain how the overseas representative offices were able to grasp the needs of the Iraqis since the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is the only NGO operation currently operating inside Iraq.

The updated ICRC mobilization list demonstrated that blankets, kitchen sets, wheat flour, red lentils and oil are the primary items Iraqis need. The list emphasizes that the ICRC is open to such donations.

Officials participant NGO representatives at the briefing failed to clarify how these relief materials would reach the Iraqis in a timely manner.

Liu Chi-chun (劉啟群), Chairman of the Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps, said possible channels for distribution include the ICRC, US-based NGO Mercy Corps, Jordan or the Buddhist Compassionate Relief Tzu Chi Foundation.

But both the Red Cross in Taiwan and the Buddhist Compassionate Relief Tzu Chi Foundation did not take part in the joint campaign.

"Currently we are unable to assess the circumstances inside Iraq. We need to dispatch personnel to go into the country to make pertinent on-site evaluations. It's impossible for us to assess the situation by reading newspapers," said Rey-sheng Her (何日生), spokesman for the Buddhist foundation.

The foundation will not begin any fund raising campaign until a special project to aid the Iraqis is set up after a field assessment is conducted, the spokesman said.

"We've never received any notice for such a meeting," said Lin Hsiu-fen (林秀芬), deputy director of the department of international and public affairs of the Red Cross in Taiwan.