Top government officials joined representatives from Japan in central Taiwan yesterday for a ceremony to mark the completion of the first batch of Japanese-donated prefabricated housing.
The 43 units are part of a project that will see some 235 others erected in Tungshih County and 1,000 in other earthquake-hit areas.
The ceremony was hosted by first lady Tseng Wen-fui (
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Speaking later during a visit to the housing site, Premier Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) praised the efforts being made to rebuild local residents' shattered lives.
"This is a community of humanity, where all residents' basic needs can be met. Although it is a short-term plan, I hope it can help residents' lives return to normal," he said.
"There is even a 7-Eleven," he remarked. "This is good for residents, because they can buy whatever they need. They don't have to store everything in their homes."
The prefabricated houses were first constructed in Japan following the 1995 earthquakes in Kobe and Osaka. Because they are still in good condition, the Japanese government donated 1,000 of them to Taiwan's disaster-stricken districts.
Each housing unit contains eight pings (one ping=3.3 square meters) of space divided into two bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom, storage room and a closet. They are equipped with telephones and some electrical appliances.
Taiwan's Red Cross chapter has also donated 20-inch TV sets, refrigerators, fans and other appliances to each household.
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