Rotary provides urgent relief for victims of Typhoon Morakot

(EVANSTON, Illinois, USA, August 24, 2009) – Members of Rotary, one of the world’s largest humanitarian service organizations www.rotary.org , are providing urgently needed relief for those impacted by Typhoon Morakot, a storm that triggered massive mudslides and flooding in Taiwan and the Philippines in early August, killing an estimated 500 people and causing US$1.5 billion in damage. 

Rotary International Director Jackson San-Lien Hsieh, a member of the Rotary Club of Taipei Sunrise, has worked to gather resources to aid the hardest-hit southern areas in Taiwan. “Rotary members will do whatever it takes to reach out and offer assistance to help rebuild," says Hsieh. "We will care for those people and areas that have been most impacted by this disaster."

For survivors in southern Taiwan, Rotary clubs have launched several relief initiatives including:

• Building a village of temporary shelters for those left homeless by the storm,
• Providing supplies for educational institutions that were damaged,
• Locating and repairing damaged pipelines, sewer lines, and water towers to help ensure that clean water is available, 
• Providing volunteer medical professionals and supplies to assist injured victims, and
• Establishing a dedicated bank account to accept overseas donations for disaster relief. Anyone wishing to contribute can remit donations to the "Rotary International Chu-Nan Club - Taiwan Disaster Relief Rotarian Action Group” at the Bank of Taiwan, Toufen Branch. For additional information, please contact Chiu-Lung Chu at 886-37-581-121 ext 211, or email at poritechu@mail.porite.com.tw .

In addition, ShelterBox www.shelterbox.org , an international disaster relief charity supported by Rotary clubs around the world, sent a response team to Taiwan just days after the typhoon struck to provide lifesaving shelter and equipment. Each box supplies up to 10 people with a tent and lifesaving equipment such as water purifiers, cooking supplies, blankets and more.

For survivors from Zambales Province, the hardest hit area of the Philippines, Rotary clubs are providing:

• Immediate medical care by a team of 50 doctors and dentists, organized by Rotary clubs in partnership with UNTV, a television station operated by the Progressive Broadcasting Corporation. Medicine will be provided by Physicians for Peace www.physiciansforpeace.org . The medical team will arrive in Zambales by the middle of next week.
• School In A Box - books and basic school supplies for the children in typhoon affected areas.
• Three hundred and forty two temporary shelters for families who lost their homes due to the disaster provided by ShelterBox.  

Rotary club members worldwide are contributing to disaster relief efforts for victims of Typhoon Morakot. Chin-Ho Liao, a member of the Rotary Club of San Gabriel, California, USA, donated US$10,000 to support relief efforts. Originally from Taiwan, Liao felt the need to take action. "I wanted to help right away," he said. "As a Rotary club member, my donation is a token of what Rotary is all about.”

Rotary – an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide in humanitarian service - has more than 1.2 million members in more than 33,000 clubs in over 200 countries and geographic regions.  As volunteers, Rotary members have been serving the needs of communities worldwide since 1905.

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