Hurricane victims in Southern Grenadines receive family packages from Taiwan Foundation

The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), in collaboration with the Tzu Chi Foundation has providing two containers of relief supplies to aid the victims of Hurricane Beryl in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Director of NEMO, Michelle Forbes greets Ambassador Fiona Huei-Chun Fan at the port in Union Island

Five volunteers of the “Taiwan Tzu Chi Foundation” St. Maarten Branch arrived in SVG on September 4, 2024 and were welcomed at the Argyle International Airport by staff from the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The following day, September 5, 2024, they, along with the Director of the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO), Michelle Forbes and her team Embassy staff, technical mission volunteers, and local Tzu Chi volunteers, went to Union Island to distribute 300 relief family packs. The packages included Taiwanese rice, flour, noodles, beans, sugar, salt, drinking water, and laundry powder, a release from the Embassy states. It is to hoped that the disaster victims could rebuild their homes soon and return to normal life as quickly as possible.

Prime Minister, Ralph Gonsalves , during a visit to Union Island to inspect the post-Hurricane Beryl reconstruction, with Taiwan Ambassador, Fiona Huei-Chun Fan, extended gratitude to Tzu Chi members. Prime Minister Gonsalves said he appreciated the quick assistance provided by the government of Taiwan immediately after the passage of Hurricane Beryl on July 1, and expressed thanks to Tzu Chi for embodying the spirit of compassion and continuing to assist St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the reconstruction period.

A resident of Union Island (left) receives a family package from the Delegation of Tzu Chi (right)

Ambassador Fan arranged vegetarian meals for Tzu Chi members as a token of appreciation for their hard work and demonstration of solidarity between Taiwan and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation had collected and sent two 20-foot containers with a total of

1,000 family packs to be distributed among the severely affected areas of Union Island, Canouan, and Mayreau, as well as mainland, St. Vincent.

The release from the Embassy also explains that the Tzu Chi Foundation was established by Master Cheng Ye in Hualien in 1966. In the 1970s and 80s, Tzu Chi expanded its charitable efforts from eastern Taiwan to the entire island, establishing a free clinic in Hualien and officially opening Tzu Chi Hospital. Since its first international disaster relief effort for the Bangladesh floods in 1991, Tzu Chi has assisted 136 countries and regions (as of March 2024).