Large amounts of supplies have been brought or sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei after the ministry on Monday launched a donation drive, asking people to provide goods and medical supplies for Ukrainian refugees.
The ministry on Saturday last week said that it would begin accepting donations of supplies on Monday to help Ukrainians who have fled their country to escape Russian bombings and attacks, and asked for items such as sleeping bags, thermal clothing, milk powder, medicines and medical accessories.
“The goods will be sent to European countries bordering Ukraine and distributed to Ukrainian refugees through local relief agencies,” it said in a statement about the campaign, which is to end on Friday next week.
Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei Times
Halfway through the campaign’s third day yesterday, almost one-third of the ministry’s parking lot, which is serving as a temporary storage site, was full of donated items.
Jung Wen-shan (榮妏珊), a housewife who was making her second drop-off, told reporters that she had previously brought a batch of raincoats and diapers for Ukrainian refugees.
“The volunteers here at the ministry told me that they needed more wheelchairs,” she said, which is why she came back to donate a new wheelchair she had just bought at a nearby store.
Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei Times
She said that as a mother, she had a lot of sympathy for Ukrainians who have to cope with the Russian invasion, which has caused more than 2 million refugees, according to UN estimates.
“We live a much better life than them, so we need to do something,” said Jung, who expected to be back with more wheelchairs.
Gyawali Khatri Chhetri Salikram from Nepal and his Taiwanese wife, Ling Li-wen (凌莉雯), said that they donated canned formula milk powder they originally bought for their child.
They did so instead of donating money in the hope that the goods could reach those who need them as soon as possible, Ling said.
Another donor, who asked not be identified when he spoke with reporters on Tuesday, said that he felt distressed whenever he saw news of the war that is tearing Ukraine apart.
“I cry every day when watching” the news, he said, which led him to donate sleeping bags.
He said that he expected to bring blankets later in the week.
People who wish to make donations can either mail their supplies to the ministry or drop them off at the site’s western entrance, the ministry said.
Those who make donations in person would be received by a group of volunteers who help the donors fill in forms, it said.
One of the volunteers on duty yeterday was Liu Ting-ting (劉亭廷), a journalist from the Chinese-language TVBS News channel, who told reporters that she volunteered on a day off to contribute to the cause.
In just a morning at her post, Liu said she met donors from across Taipei and some who traveled from as far as Taoyuan.
“One grandma came here with bags of cookies she just bought, gave them to us, and said she wanted to donate them to the Ukrainian people,” Liu said. “That was really touching.”
The ministry has put together a list of goods that can be donated, and said only items on the list would be accepted out of practical and safety considerations.
The list includes thermal clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, lighting devices, first aid kits, wheelchairs, walking sticks, raincoats, candles, biscuits, milk powder, diapers and basic medical supplies.
It also includes basic medications such as antibiotics and other drugs, preferably in ampoule form.
All donated goods must be unopened and in their original packaging, and their expiry date, where applicable, must be at least six months away.
A full list of items and other details in English is at: en.mofa.gov.tw/News_Content.spx?n=1328&sms=273&s=97488.
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