Republic of China (Taiwan) Donates Rice to Food For The Poor
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (May 25, 2017) The first of seven lifesaving shipments of rice is enroute from Taiwan to feed Haiti’s hungry poor, thanks to the kindness of the Republic of China’s (Taiwan) Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This first shipment is expected to reach Port-au-Prince by early July.
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 being whipsawed by 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.
“This rice is an answered prayer,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “Thank God for the government and the people of Taiwan. Taiwan has been a tremendous partner, consistently providing lifesaving food for hundreds of thousands people in Haiti for many years. We are so very thankful to receive this bountiful blessing on behalf of the poor that we serve. This lifesaving food will nurture children and their families.”
Rice is a major staple in Haiti, and by networking with partners such as the Republic of China (Taiwan), Food For The Poor is able to feed countless hungry children each day.
Food For The Poor will distribute the donated rice to sponsored programs, one of which is the charity’s feeding center in Port-au-Prince. Approximately 15,000 hot meals are cooked and distributed from this location six days a week.
Peter Hwang, the outgoing ambassador to Haiti from the Republic of China (Taiwan), was instrumental in making the rice gift possible. Cheng-Hao Hu, the new ambassador to Haiti from the Republic of China (Taiwan), will arrive to the embassy in Port-au-Prince this weekend.
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]