TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Earthquake relief donations for Taiwan topped NT$102.3 million (US$3.18 million), with funds coming in from 30 countries, reports said Saturday (April 6).
Hong Kong topped the list of donors, followed by Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, per CNA. The figures were based on information supplied to the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) by the Taiwan Foundation for Disaster Relief by 4 p.m. Saturday.
The foreign donations were made by credit card, while inside Taiwan, donating money to the relief effort was possible by several other means as well, including by wire transfer, Line Pay, and fundraising platform WaBay.
By Saturday afternoon, the Land Bank of Taiwan account had received NT$23.08 million, WaBay NT$22.1 million, and Line Pay NT$57.11 million. Organizers expected donations to grow significantly once the April 4-7 Tomb Sweeping Holiday was over, with banks and post offices reopening for business.
The donation campaign will continue until May 3, one month after the earthquake, which so far has left 13 people dead, six missing, and more than 1,000 injured. A number of buildings in Hualien County but also in the Taipei area have been declared unfit to live.
The Japanese government said it would donate NT$32 million for disaster relief in Taiwan. On the list of government and business donors, Japan was only preceded by the Foxconn Technology Group with NT$80 million, Quanta Computer and Fubon Financial Holding with NT$50 million each.