Taiwan delivered 10 tonnes of emergency supplies by military aircraft to the Philippines over the Christmas weekend to help the Southeast Asian country recover from the devastation caused by Typhoon Rai.
Two C-130 aircraft departed from southern Pingtung Air Base to Mactan-Cebu International Airport late on Saturday and early Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The aircraft carried food rations, cookies, instant noodles, bottled water, canned food and portable water filters, all donated by the Taiwanese government, it said.
Photo courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Representative to the Philippines Michael Hsu (徐佩勇) was at the airport to receive the supplies and is to transfer them to the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, it said.
The ministry said that it “would like to express our sympathy and condolences to those affected, and hope that the country makes a rapid recovery.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) wrote on Twitter that the typhoon had caused destruction and heavy casualties in the Philippines.
“It ruined #Christmas for many & hit us hard too as we truly care about our #Filipino brothers & sisters. Fortunately, #Taiwan’s #ROCAF [Republic of China Air Force] C-130s flew in supplies quickly. Hang in there, more are coming,” he wrote.
The Philippine Air Force announced the arrival of one of the aircraft on social media on Saturday evening.
The air force wrote on Facebook that it welcomed the C-130 aircraft and the supplies it brought to victims of Typhoon Odette, the name used in the Philippines to refer to Rai.
The donations from Taiwan are expected to benefit typhoon victims in the provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental, it said.
In photos released by the Philippine Air Force, Taiwanese pilots are seen holding Taiwanese flags and posing with Philippine officials, who helped to unload the supplies.
The delivery was made days after Taiwan’s donation of US$500,000 to the Philippines on Wednesday last week to help the Southeast Asian country recover from Rai.
The storm caused 378 deaths and 742 injuries, with 60 people still missing and 4 million affected, the Philippine government said.
The C-130 aircraft were used for similar disaster relief missions to the Philippines in 2013 after it was hit by Typhoon Haiyan.
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