Relief for Victims of Typhoon  Morakot:

Over ten thousand  Tzu Chi volunteers mobilize immediately to provide disaster relief

Hualien, Taiwan  – Severe flooding and damage caused by Typhoon Morakot in Southern  Taiwan since August 7 have left many residents hungry and homeless.

In response,  Tzu Chi volunteers residing in disaster areas have offered 170,000 hot  meals to their affected communities. Tzu Chi volunteers continue relief  efforts, providing relief kits as well assistance through emergency  cash assistance, medical care, cleaning, and care.

Each relief  kit contains a towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, and instant  rice or noodles to meet the daily needs of affected residents. On August  10, three thousand relief kits were distributed in Kaoshiung area alone.

Tzu Chi volunteers  offer comprehensive care for affected residents. In response to the  different circumstances for each affected household, Tzu Chi has provided  emergency cash, ranging from NT$5,000 to NT$10,000, per household. For  vulnerable families, Tzu Chi will continue to provide medium- and long-term  care and financial assistance based on further assessment. Tzu Chi will  also distribute 50,000 eco-friendly blankets (made from recycled plastic  bottles) to affected families during home visits.

All Tzu Chi  Hospitals of Taiwan and Tzu Chi medical volunteers have begun to provide  free medical assistance in disaster areas. Medical personnel from Guanshan  Tzu Chi General Hospital in Taitung have provided free on-site medical  care in Taimali. Guanshan Tzu Chi General Hospital has set up temporary  medical stations at Tzu Chi's recycling stations in the Taimali area,  with doctors on-site over August 10-14. In addition to seeing patients  at medical stations, doctors have traveled to local shelters to provide  assistance.

According to  one medical doctor volunteer, most common conditions include common  colds, body aches and chronic diseases, as well as post-traumatic stress.  Doctors and medical personnel will continue to follow Tzu Chi volunteers  to provide aid and care as long as needed.

On August 9,  Tzu Chi headquarters in Hualien prepared 16,000 kg of instant rice and  noodles to be delivered to Pingtung, Kaoshiung and Tainan. Each portion  of instant rice and noodles are presented in an eco-friendly bowl. For  the first two days after the typhoon, Tzu Chi volunteers delivered hot  meals to needy households. Once the water recedes, Tzu Chi volunteers  will demonstrate how to prepare instant rice and instant noodles at  home to affected residents, in order to free more volunteers to help  clean homes in the community. Tzu Chi volunteers has started clean up  homes in the following areas: Dong Gang (Pingtung), Ren De, Shan Hua  and Yong Kang (in Tainan).

Each household  that received aid from Tzu Chi has also received a letter from Master  Cheng Yen, the founder of Tzu Chi Foundation. In the letter, Master  Cheng Yen and Tzu Chi volunteers from around the world expressed deep  concern and offered them heartfelt wishes and blessings. Master Cheng  Yen prays that affected residents will recover quickly and safely from  this disaster, and that all people will continue to help one another  physically and emotionally and to rebuild homes. In addition, Master  Cheng Yen continues to urge all to love all sentient beings and to protect  our environment.

Donation information

Institution: Taiwan Post
Account name: Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation
Account number: 06887791

For more information, please  contact Grace Chen at 0970-333-735 (Taiwan).