Republic of China (Taiwan) Rice Donation to Food For The Poor to Arrive at Critical Time in Haiti
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Feb. 8, 2017) As Haiti endures a severe food shortage in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, Republic of China’s (Taiwan) Ministry of Foreign Affairs is donating 5,600 metric tons of rice to the country this year through Food For The Poor.
The lifesaving rice will be sent in seven shipments of 40 containers each, with the first one leaving Taiwan in May and arriving in Haiti in June. The shipments will continue throughout the year until December.
The latest donation of rice will provide 49 million meals.
Today, Food For The Poor President/CEO Robin Mahfood greeted Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee of the Republic of China (Taiwan) at the charity’s office and warehouse in Port-au-Prince to express his gratitude.
“This is a true blessing to so many Haitians who will benefit from this donation of rice, especially for those who depend on Food For The Poor as their only source of food for their day,” Mahfood said.
The generosity of Taiwan’s donation comes at a crucial time as the number of Haitians facing hunger and food insecurity has grown to more than 1.5 million due to the impact of the hurricane, coupled with effects of years of drought and severe flooding.
Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 storm that hit the Caribbean country on Oct. 4, wiped out crops, drowned most livestock and destroyed critical infrastructure, according to the United Nations.
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.
“Their partnership has helped us with rice donations that feed hundreds of thousands of people daily; tilapia and pangasius farming; and aquaculture and agricultural programs in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, St Lucia and Haiti,” Mahfood said. “These contributions are appreciated more than you will ever know. Taiwan has helped us save the lives of thousands.”
In recent years, Taiwanese officials have explained their support for Haiti, saying they themselves have been the recipients of aid and rice and have feelings of solidarity with the Haitian people.
Since 2007 alone, Food For The Poor has received more than 40 million pounds of rice for Haiti through Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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.
Since the 2010 earthquake, through the generosity of its donors, the charity has built 7,310 permanent double-unit concrete block homes with water and sanitation and a solar light kit in each home in Haiti, providing people with a safe and secure place to live. The charity also has built, expanded and restored 51 schools in the Port-au-Prince area and shipped 7,861 tractor-trailer loads of essential aid to Haiti.
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]