Despite Taiwan's recent failure to at the World Health Assembly (WHA) this week to become an observer of the WHO, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recently recognized a joint aid program for Afghan refugees organized by Taiwan's government and the Mercy Corps, a Portland-based charity.
The official OCHA Web site carried an article dated May 6 titled "Rice, Roads and a Little Bit of Hope," describing the Mercy Corps' "food for work" project carried out in partnership with the Taiwan's government, which has contributed 240 tonnes of rice to the project.
The aid package involved a road-construction project that has recently begun in Afghanistan's Takhar province and will have employed over 6,300 local people by the time it is completed. To date, over 550 Afghan laborers have been employed and more than 18 tonnes of rice have been distributed as payment.
Aja Bullah, one of the workers employed on the project, was quoted on the Web site as saying he was thankful to have the opportunity to work.
"I have a family of five and I'm the only one working now," he said.
"There is very little chance to work in this area. This project has allowed me to take rice home and feed my family."
The Mercy Corps said that the project's impact is tremendous and is actually creating thousands of local job opportunities apart from the road-building jobs.
Jack Chiang (
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokeswoman Katharine Chang (張小月) said the aid package shows that Taiwan is just doing what it should do as a global citizen.
"It is a good example to show the world that Taiwan is able to help when necessary," she said. "Taiwan is always standing by to provide help by giving medication, food and all kinds of health-related product to those who are in need."
Regarding the recent failure of Taiwan's bid to gain observer status in the WHO, Chang said that it was really the organization's loss.
"It's our sixth bid to enter the WHA, the WHO's highest decision-making body, since 1997," she said.
"Unfortunately, we still could not make it this year. OCHA's recognition of our contribution to Afghanistan is a strong message to the global society that Taiwan is ready to carry out its duties as a global citizen, which we have actually been doing for many years."
OCHA's official Web site was first launched in 1996 and has been highly regarded by governments, international organizations, non-government organizations, academia and the mass media for the speed with which it disseminates information on global humanitarian relief and natural disasters.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS