The Red Cross Society of the Republic of China (Taiwan) yesterday announced a donation of US$50,000 to support relief efforts in Myanmar following the aftermath of a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck central Myanmar on Friday.
The organization in a statement said that the funds would be used to assist emergency aid and rescue operations led by its counterpart in Myanmar and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
The earthquake and subsequent aftershocks have severely impacted Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw, as well as the central regions of Mandalay, Sagaing, Magway, Bago and the northeastern Shan State, the Taiwan Red Cross said.
Photo: AP
The quake also affected parts of China and Thailand.
In response, the IFRC convened an online emergency coordination meeting with humanitarian partners across the region on Saturday, it said.
Among the key concerns is the heightened risk of disease outbreaks in Myanmar’s earthquake-affected regions, due to severe damage to infrastructure, including hospitals and water systems, it added.
The Myanmar Red Cross has estimated that about 50,000 families were affected by the quake and plans to provide emergency aid and reconstruction support to between 10,000 and 20,000 families.
The IFRC has launched an appeal to raise 15 million Swiss francs (US$17 million), allocating 30 percent of the funds for immediate disaster relief and the remaining 70 percent for long-term reconstruction, the Taiwan Red Cross said.
Meanwhile, Fo Guang Shan Monastery’s regional branch — which covers Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and India — announced plans to purchase 140,000 ringgit (US$31,500) worth of supplies to aid 1,000 families in towns near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city.
Fo Guang Shan’s headquarters has pledged an additional US$30,000 for disaster relief, while its regional branch would coordinate transportation between Yangon and central Myanmar for Taiwanese search and rescue teams, the organization said.
Taipei-based Buddhist group Dharma Drum Mountain yesterday announced that its charity foundation plans to dispatch a delegation to assess the needs of disaster-hit communities in Myanmar.
The foundation aims to deliver aid through Taiwanese businesses operating in the country and is preparing to send emergency shipments of medical and other essential supplies.
This comes after Taiwan’s China Airlines on Saturday said it would offer free shipping of disaster relief goods to Thailand and Myanmar.
As of press time last night, Myanmar’s government had reported more than 1,670 deaths, 3,400 injuries and more than 300 people missing following the earthquake — a toll that is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue.
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