TOKYO--20 Aug--Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet/InfoQuest
In response to the devastation caused by Typhoon Morakot, which caused heavy flooding and landslides in the central and southern parts of Taiwan on August 7 and 8, SGI organizations in Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong responded with provision of humanitarian assistance and donations in support of government
rescue efforts. The total death toll from Morakot, the strongest typhoon to hit the island in half a century, could reach 500, and more than 7,000 people have been left homeless.
On August 9, the Taiwan Soka Association (SGI-Taiwan or TSA) created temporary Emergency Centers in five of its community centers in cities in the disaster area such as Tainan, Chiayi, and Kaohsiung. Local TSA members traveled on bamboo rafts to help people escape their flooded homes: some distributed food
and drinking water to the victims, others donated first-aid materials (including sterilization and decontamination kits and medicine), and some assisted victims cleaning their homes of mud from the flooding. Hundreds of
people participated in these relief activities over a 5-day period.
On August 13, TSA General Director Lin Chao donated 1,000,000 New Taiwan Dollars (US$30,300) on behalf of its members to Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior. The donation was received by Deputy Minister Lin Jhong-shen, who paid tribute to the organization’s strong track record in carrying out humanitarian
activities in response to natural disasters.
SGI-Hong Kong made a donation of HK$300,000 (US$38,700) through the designated Chung Hwa Travel Service in support of Taiwanese government relief activities on August 17. A fundraising drive to raise contributions from members of SGI-Hong Kong will continue till August 31. On August 17, SGI-Macau also
presented HK$100,000 (US$12,900) to the Macau Red Cross in support of relief activities in Taiwan.
Soka Gakkai International is a lay Buddhist organization with 12 million members in over 190 countries and territories around the world whose activities to promote peace, culture, education and provide humanitarian relief are inspired by the longstanding tradition of Buddhism humanism.
SOURCE: Soka Gakkai International
Contact:
Joan Anderson
Office of Public Information
Soka Gakkai International
Tel: +81-3-5360-9482
Fax: +81-3-5360-9885
e-mail: janderson[at]sgi.gr.jp
URL: www.sgi.org
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