The Red Cross Society urged the public yesterday to do more to help earthquake victims in Iran.
"So far we have only raised NT$6 million from the public, and it is not responding strongly enough to the relief effort," society president Chen Chang-wen (陳長文) said.
"It might seem that Iran is a long way away from us, but Taiwan is an affluent society that can give more. We are spending millions of dollars on the election campaign and missiles, and compared to that, 5 or 6 million is not much," he said.
At a press conference yesterday, Hsueh Ming-Yuan (薛明圓), the secretary of the Red Cross' social services department, described the seriousness of the situation in Bam.
"When I first arrived in Bam, all I could see was shattered houses everywhere. Virtually the whole city is destroyed," Hsueh said.
Hsueh traveled to Iran on Dec. 27 with the National Fire Agency and the Taipei City Fire Department to see the damage the earthquake had caused and evaluate the need for relief supplies.
Hsueh said that, according to official statistics, over 90 percent of the houses in Bam collapsed and over 50 percent of the population died.
"It is really cold in Iran right now," Hsueh said.
"It's usually between 5oC and 6oC at night. We had to sleep in sleeping bags and with blankets under and over us. With weather like that, blankets are vital to the relief effort," Hsueh said.
Hsueh said that his hands had suffered frostbite.
Hsueh added that when the Taiwanese delegation arrived in Bam, most Iranians had only a vague impression of Taiwan, but after a few days, the people there were very appreciative toward Taiwan for its relief assistance.
World Vision Taiwan has also raised about NT$5 million for its relief effort but the organization said the project would need more money soon.
According to the Red Cross, the Iranian Red Crescent has been authorized by the Iranian government to take charge of the relief effort.
The Red Crescent has been setting up shelters and handing out tents, blankets and other relief supplies to quake victims.
It has also set up a major hospital and four mobile hospitals to provide the area with medical services, as well as providing water purification equipment.
Those who wish to give money to the Red Cross can wire money to the society's postal bank account -- 15978888. The donation should specify that the money is to be used for the relief program in Iran (
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