By Flor Wang and Novia Huang
TAIWAN / HAITI, (Focus Taiwan) – Taiwan’s ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and Disaster Relief Foundation inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Tuesday to help with Haiti’s recovery from an earthquake and a storm last year.
Under the MOU, the foundation will contribute US$500,000 over one year to help Haiti, one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies, to develop its rice production and alleviate its food shortage crisis, in collaboration with Haiti’s ministry of agriculture, natural resources and rural development, MOFA said in a statement.
The funds will be used to assist Haitian farmers to restore rice production and explore sale channels, as ways of creating job opportunities for the people of the Caribbean country and increase their incomes, the ministry said.
The MOFA-affiliated International Cooperation and Development Fund, which has an agricultural technical mission in Haiti, will implement the disaster relief program in that country, as part of Taiwan’s effort to pursue the Sustainable Development Goals laid out by the United Nations, the ministry said.
Taiwan and Haiti have maintained diplomatic relations for 66 years, with bilateral cooperation in a wide range of fields, from agriculture and energy to medical care and sustainable development.
In 2021, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on August 14, killing over 2,000 people and causing widespread damage estimated at billions of dollars.
A few days later, the country was hit by Tropical Storm Grace, which devastated its infrastructure and agriculture, leaving nearly 1 million people without sufficient food.
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