An earthquake shakes Taiwan

The strongest earthquake in 25 years shook the people of Taiwan on the morning of April 3. The devastating 7.4-magnitude quake injured over 900 people and has so far claimed several lives near the epicenter around the city of Hualien. According to media reports, several people are still missing. Over 100 aftershocks have been registered so far.

A team from the CBN aid organization Operation Blessing is on its way to the crisis region to help those affected. There, they will begin with initial measures and an assessment of the damage. Once on the ground, our staff will provide vital supplies and resources to those affected. Landslides that have brought traffic on the highways to a standstill and the interrupted power supply in the region are making rescue work more difficult.

Update April 6th:

• CBN’s Operation Blessing team has arrived in the disaster area and has begun coordinating with the government and local partners to plan the next steps. Taiwan’s indigenous peoples have been identified as potential recipients of essential supplies such as food parcels or hygiene kits (including clean drinking water) and other aid.
• Discussions were held with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and local government representatives, who appreciate the speed of the aid.
• There are still regular aftershocks, some of them severe (up to magnitude 6.5), which are making work on the ground more difficult. Over 300 aftershocks have now been measured.
• There have been 13 fatalities and over 1100 injured. People are still missing.
• Critical infrastructure was damaged by the earthquake and aftershocks

Update April 7th:

• The team focuses on helping the most vulnerable, such as senior citizens and families in the villages of the indigenous population. The earthquake has severely damaged many houses there.
• The food supply is fully prepared.
• Further relief supplies are being procured for distribution to the worst-affected communities.

Update April 9th:

• 63-year-old Mimi from the Taroko indigenous people lost her vital water tanks in the earthquake. The tanks were so damaged that they are unusable. She cannot afford new tanks. Her children work in the Taroko National Park, but it is now closed due to massive landslides, so they lost their income. Operation Blessing is working on replacing the tanks.

Update April 15th:

• A total of 9 water tanks were delivered to members of the Taroko.

 

An Operation Blessing disaster relief team was also quickly on site to provide assistance during the earthquakes in Turkey in February 2023 and in Morocco in September.

CBN disaster relief after the earthquake in Turkey in figures

 

Your generous donation enables us to provide vital supplies to those affected by disasters. Together, we can give hope to people who have lost so much and help them to rebuild their lives.

 

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Source title image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/presidentialoffice/53629407644/