On 8th August 2009, typhoon Morakot swept across Taiwan, particularly affecting the south of the island and especially in mountain regions. The Salvation Army personnel in Taiwan, despite the comparatively few that there are, immediately set about trying to find ways of assisting the victims of the disaster. In the initial days, it was thought that there was not a great deal of difference between this typhoon and ones seen regularly on this island. However, as the first week passed by, it became very clear that the mountainous region south of where Morakot tracked, took the heaviest rainfall for many years – 2.5 meters in 2 days. This rain produced floods and landslides, with rivers breaking their banks, homes being swamped with water and mud, and homes being washed away, especially on the mountain roads. Many roads and 44 bridges were destroyed, making many areas inaccessible and leaving many families displaced and stranded. To date, the estimated loss of life is in the region of 200+ with up to 300 still missing. In addition to this 25,000 people have been displaced from their homes and are being cared for in churches and Buddhist temples throughout the central and southern region of Taiwan.
I am being deployed by The Salvation Army to assist the Region in the recovery programs and will be in Taiwan for 6 weeks from next Monday (21 September).
If you are interested in more details check out these links:
The Salvation Army Taiwan: http://www.salvationarmy.org.tw/web/489357/1
Photos of Taipei Central Corps’ work: http://tpcsatw1.blogspot.com
News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8202821.stm
