Print

Mail

wiki links

US$30,000 donated to Malaysia

"We will send more people in the following three months to collaborate with the World Health Organization in its relief efforts."

Kuo Hsu-sung, Center for Disease Control director

Taiwan's representative to Malaysia yesterday presented an additional US$30,000 to the country for relief efforts in tsunami-affected areas.

Wu Wen-ya (吳文雅), director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia, said that when Taiwan was hard hit by the deva-stating magnitude 7.6 earthquake of Sept. 21, 1999, it received assistance from Malaysia and other countries.

Taiwan's government and its people emphasize with those in South Asia who suffered tremendously in the disaster wrought by the tsunami which was triggered by a magnitude-9 earthquake in Sumatra on Dec. 26, Wu said.

He said the US$30,000 is an expression of concern from Taiwan for the people in the affected areas.

The government has already donated US$50 million for the relief of tsunami-affected areas in Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, a Taiwanese medical team left for tsunami-ravaged Thailand yesterday, equipped with 1.5 tonnes of supplies to help curb possible disease outbreaks there, officials said.

The 17 disease-control experts were sent by the Department of Health to the resort island of Phuket, which is one of the worst-hit areas.

"We will send more people in the following three months to collaborate with the World Health Organization in its relief efforts," Center for Disease Control director Kuo Hsu-sung (郭旭崧) said.

A rescue team organized by the Taipei government has returned from the Indonesian city of Medan after dropping some 3.5 tonnes of relief and medical items.

The disaster has left more than 150,000 people dead, with 52 countries reporting their nationals were killed or injured when the tsunamis hit Indian Ocean coastlines on Dec. 26.

Three Taiwanese vacationing in Thailand were killed.
This story has been viewed 2921 times.