Nearly NT$66 million (US$2.06 million) has so far been donated to Hualien County through local accounts to support relief efforts after the area was hit by the nation’s strongest earthquake in 25 years, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday.
The one-month donation campaign began on Thursday and saw NT$65.9 million pour into the designated accounts set up by the ministry as of 4pm yesterday, after an earthquake, which Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring center measured at magnitude 7.2, while the US Geological Service put it at 7.4, struck on Wednesday morning.
More than NT$39.57 million in donations had been made through Line Pay and NT$12.34 million had been made through online fundraising platform WaBay, while NT$13.98 million had been transferred to a Land Bank of Taiwan account, the Taiwan Foundation for Disaster Relief said in a statement yesterday.
Photo: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, REUTERS
The Line Pay and WaBay donation platforms were open starting at 7pm on Thursday.
In an earlier statement, the foundation thanked the Ministry of Finance and Financial Information Service Co for waiving interbank transaction fees for donation transfers.
Donors who were charged a transaction fee are to receive a refund within a month, the relief foundation said, adding that the service company has donated NT$3 million to Hualien.
CTBC Bank, Union Bank of Taiwan, Taipei Fubon Bank and Taishin Bank have also agreed not to charge transaction fees for donations made through Line Pay, the relief foundation said.
The Land Bank of Taiwan’s account would be closed on May 3, while Line Pay and WaBay would close their donation platforms on May 2 and April 30 respectively, the foundation said.
The central government is also disbursing relief funds to quake-affected areas.
In addition to the NT$300 million for disaster relief already sent, NT$200,000 bereavement payments would be given to the families of each of the deceased and missing, the Executive Yuan said yesterday.
Relief funds of NT$400,000 would also be allocated per deceased or missing person, and NT$100,000 to those with serious injuries, it said.
The government is also providing 30 kinds of assistance to those affected, including help with relocation and reconstruction, it added.
Domestic donations can be made to account No.102-005-19895-7 at the Land Bank of Taiwan Changchuen Branch (code: 005), while overseas donations can be made to the SWIFT code LBOTTWTP102 to the account named Taiwan Foundation for Disaster Relief at the same bank branch.
The crowdfunding platform for donations can be accessed at: https://wabay.tw/projects/0403twhl_earthquake?%20locale=zh-TW.
LinePay users can click on the “Donations” button and choose the “0403 Hualien Earthquake Fundraising Program” (0403 花蓮震 災募款專案).
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