The government has pledged a total donation of US$300,000 to two of its diplomatic allies in the Caribbean, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia, which were hard hit by a major hurricane earlier in the week.
A donation of US$200,000 would be made to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, while US$100,000 would be given to Saint Lucia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, following reports of widespread damage in the two island countries after the passage of the record-breaking Hurricane Beryl on Monday.
Beryl, the first Category 4 hurricane recorded in the Caribbean in the month of June and the earliest to reach Category 5 in July, churned across the Windward Islands on Monday, packing winds of up to 240 kilometers per hour and wreaking extensive damage.
Photo: AP
In its wake, two deaths were confirmed in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, while countless homes and other structures were destroyed. Photos and videos of the damage show roofless and shattered houses, flooded streets, downed power lines and trees, and other debris scattered across large areas of the countries.
The ministry said the government has expressed concern to the prime ministers of its two affected allies about the damage caused by the powerful storm.
The ministry also expressed sympathy on behalf of the government and Taiwanese to the two allies and pledged support on X.
“Our hearts are with those in the Caribbean who were devastated by catastrophic Hurricane Beryl. At this tragic time, we announce donations to #SaintVincentAndTheGrenadines & #SaintLucia for relief efforts. #Taiwan prays for a swift recovery for our allies,” the post read.
So far all Taiwanese in the two Caribbean countries — expatriates, businesspeople and Taiwan embassy staff — have been confirmed as safe, the ministry said.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said it would take a “herculean effort” to rebuild after the substantial destruction and that “90-odd percent of the houses were blown away” on Union Island.
“Most of the country doesn’t have electricity, and more than half without water at the moment,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mexican officials were scrambling to prepare, with Beryl expected to bring damaging winds, a dangerous storm surge and heavy rainfall over the Yucatan Peninsula and Belize.
In Jamaica, “life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides from heavy rainfall” were expected overnight, the US National Hurricane Center said.
Additional reporting by AFP
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as