Republic of China (Taiwan) Ambassador Visits FFP in Haiti
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (July 19, 2017) The Republic of China’s (Taiwan) new ambassador to Haiti visited Food For The Poor’s operations this week in Port-au-Prince, where the first of seven shipments of donated rice arrived earlier this month.
The rice is a gift from Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The second shipment is due to arrive in early August and the third shipment is on its way.
“I am very happy to have this discussion with your team here,” said Cheng-Hao Hu, the new ambassador to Haiti from the Republic of China (Taiwan) in a conference call with Food For The Poor President/CEO Robin Mahfood.
“Our embassy here in Haiti would like to continue to work closely with your organization and to continue the humanitarian aid,” Hu said.
The Republic of China (Taiwan) is sending 5,600 metric tons of rice in seven shipments of 40 containers each in May, June, July, August, September, October and November. Each shipment of 40 containers is equivalent to 1.76 million pounds of rice.
This donation comes at a critical time as the number of Haitians facing hunger and food insecurity has increased due to the impact of Hurricane Matthew, coupled with alternate periods of drought and severe flooding. The hurricane slammed into the country’s southern peninsula on Oct. 4, wiping out crops, drowning most livestock and destroying critical infrastructure.
Mahfood said he looks forward to an ongoing partnership with the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the new ambassador.
“We are so proud to be working with the people and the government of Taiwan,” Mahfood told the ambassador. “We are so thankful. The people of Haiti are so thankful for what you are doing.”
Rice is life in Haiti, and by networking with partners such as the Republic of China (Taiwan), Food For The Poor feeds countless hungry children each day. The charity’s main feeding center in Port-au-Prince serves more than 15,000 hot meals a day, six days a week.
Peter Hwang, the former ambassador to Haiti from the Republic of China (Taiwan), was instrumental in making the rice gift possible.
Food For The Poor, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan) and the Ministry of Agriculture (Taiwan) have partnered on multiple projects since 2005 in Central America and in the Caribbean.
Since 2007 alone, Food For The Poor has received more than 72 million pounds of rice for Haiti through Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor primarily in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. Over the last 10 years, fundraising and other administrative costs averaged less than 5% of our expenses; more than 95% of all donations went directly to programs that help the poor. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.
Michael Turnbell
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
[email protected]