Taiwan’s Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation launched a large-scale delivery of daily necessities to flood-hit Midwestern US states to help victims get through the difficult times, a spokesman for the foundation said yesterday.
The delivery this weekend is part of the foundation’s efforts to help ease the suffering of those left homeless by flooding, who are either waiting to return home or wondering where their future shelters will be, the spokesman said.
The foundation expected the delivery would help about 3,500 families, the spokesman said.
Tzu Chi also provided free medical care to help victims combat common post-disaster diseases such as skin ailments, respiratory infections and intestinal disorders. The group also provided psychological counseling, the spokesman said.
The massive floods that have hit Midwestern states in the US have claimed more than 20 lives and left more than 38,000 people homeless, the spokesman said.
States affected by the flooding include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. Iowa was the hardest hit, with 83 of the state’s 99 counties being affected.
In addition to the flooding in the Midwest, 10 states including Missouri, Illinois and Indiana have been hit by tornadoes since January, leaving innumerable houses seriously damaged, the spokesman said.
Tzu Chi has delivered daily necessities, blankets and debit cards worth US$200 in relief funds to tornado victims in the state of Indiana, the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, the foundation also gave debit cards worth between US$300 and US$500 to victims of fires in North Carolina, which was hit by more than 800 forest fires caused by thunderstorms last month, the spokesman said.
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