Humanitarian assistance initiated by Taiwanese expatriates in Japan is picking up steam in the wake of a magnitude 7.5 earthquake that devastated Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture on Monday last week and killed at least 168 people.
A Taiwanese business association based in the Hokuriku region — which consists of Toyama, Ishikawa, Niigata and Fukui prefectures — said it has collected daily necessities from its members and transported them to the quake-hit Nanao City.
The goods included six boxes of drinking water, three bags of rice, six bags of toilet paper, six bottles of oil and three cans of miso, association chairwoman Megumi Shimada said in a telephone interview.
Photo courtesy of a Taiwanese business association based in Japan’s Hokuriku region via CNA
Fresh food ingredients such as carrots, fish, potatoes and onions were also delivered and are expected to be made into curry to feed people affected by the quake, said Shimada, who drove three-and-a-half hours to deliver the goods to Nanao on Friday last week.
The journey, which usually takes about one hour by car, is now much more difficult due to the poor road conditions, she said, adding that the association has applied with the local authorities to raise funds at train stations and on streets to continue providing aid.
Likewise, a foundation that promotes Taiwan-Japan exchanges in Ishikawa is planning a donation drive, in the hope of creating what it calls a “cycle of kindness.”
Foundation chairman and Nanao National Hospital physician Chen Wen-pi (陳文筆) said the foundation is considering distributing blankets and sending members — many of whom are medical workers — to the disaster area to offer help and companionship.
Taiwan and Japan often support each other during post-earthquake relief efforts, and the most recent quake is no exception, Chen said.
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