Taiwanese trying to find missing relatives or friends amid the war between Israel and Hamas can ask the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China for help, the humanitarian organization said yesterday.
More than 338,000 people have been displaced after Israel launched airstrikes in the Gaza Strip following an attack by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, the Red Cross said, citing UN statistics.
The International Committee of the Red Cross’ Central Tracing Agency has helped reunite families displaced by wars, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China via CNA
The Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank service, also offers tracing services and is linked to the Central Tracing Agency, it added.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense’s Home Front Command and the Israeli Police Department have formed a missing persons center to help locate people amid military conflicts, the Red Cross said.
Taiwanese who need to access tracing services should contact the Red Cross Society in Taipei, which would search for missing people via the International Committee of the Red Cross, it said.
As of yesterday, the Red Cross’ Taipei office had not received any requests to find missing people in the current conflict, staff members told the Taipei Times.
People can donate to meet increasing demand for humanitarian aid at the Red Cross’ donation page www.redcross.org.tw/english/home.jsp?serno=202211010005&ptype=2 or by contacting the Taipei office on (02) 2362-8232 or by e-mail at redcross@redcross.org.tw, it said.
Two Red Cross staff members died this week while on their way to rescue people in Israel, while 21 staff members working in the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East have died, the office said.
“We call for all parties to respect and protect humanitarian aid workers,” the organization said. “The parties at war should abide by international humanitarian law, which states that civilians, homes, schools, ambulances, hospitals, medical professionals, basic infrastructure and humanitarian aid workers should be respected and protected.”
“This would ensure that people receive timely help and medical treatment, and the dead are treated with dignity,” it added.
Separately, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has helped 156 Taiwanese to depart Israel, while 147 remained, as they believed there was no imminent threat.
The ministry condemns all forms of terrorist attacks and expresses solidarity with Israel, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said.
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Tel Aviv is in close contact with Taiwanese in Israel to provide assistance, Wu said.
The ministry would continue to watch developments in Israel and provide assistance to anyone who is affected and in need, he said.
Additional reporting by Liu Tzu-hsuan
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