Large amounts of supplies have been brought or sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MOFA) Taipei headquarters after the agency opened a donation drive Monday asking people to provide goods and medical supplies for Ukrainian refugees.
MOFA said on March 5 it would begin accepting donations of supplies on March 7 to help Ukrainians who have fled their country to escape Russian bombings and attacks, and asked for items such as sleeping bags, thermal clothing, milk powder, medicines, and medical accessories.
“The goods will be sent to European countries bordering Ukraine and distributed to Ukrainian refugees through local relief agencies,” MOFA said in a statement of the campaign, which ends on March 18.
Halfway through the campaign’s third day on Wednesday, almost a third of MOFA’s parking lot, which is serving as a temporary storage site, was full of donated items.
As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, MOFA had received some 800 boxes of donated supplies, mostly involving thermal underwear, blankets, female hygiene and care products, diapers, and cookies, according to MOFA spokeswoman Joanne Ou (???).
Jung Wen-shan (???), a housewife who was making her second drop-off at MOFA on Wednesday, told CNA that she had previously brought a batch of raincoats and diapers for Ukrainian refugees.
“The volunteers here at MOFA told me that they needed more wheelchairs,” she said, which is why she came back Wednesday to donate a new wheelchair she had just bought in a nearby store.
She said that as a mother, she had a lot of sympathy for Ukrainians who have to cope with the Russian invasion, which has caused more than 1.5 million refugees, according to United Nations estimates.
“We live a much better life than them so we need to do something,” said Jung, who expected to be back at MOFA with more wheelchairs soon.
Gyawali Khatri Chhetri Salikram from Nepal and his Taiwanese wife Ling Li-wen (???) said they chose to donate canned formula milk powder they originally bought for their child.
They decided to do so instead of donating money in the hope that the goods can reach those who need them as soon as possible, Ling said Wednesday.
Another donor, who asked not be identified when he spoke with CNA on Tuesday, said he felt distressed whenever he saw news of the war that is tearing Ukraine apart.
“I cry everyday when watching (the news),” he said, which led him to donate sleeping bags on Tuesday, and he expected to bring blankets later in the week.
According to MOFA, people who wish to make donations can either mail their supplies to MOFA headquarters or drop them off at the ministry’s western entrance.
Those who make donations at MOFA will be received by a group of volunteers, who help the donors fill in required forms.
One of them there Wednesday was Liu Ting-ting (???), a journalist from Taiwan’s Chinese-language TVBS News channel, who told CNA she chose to volunteer on her day off to contribute to the cause.
In just a morning at her post, Liu said she met donors from all around Taipei and some who came from as far as Taoyuan, about 20-30 kilometers away.
“One grandma came here with bags of cookies she just bought, gave them to us, and said she wanted to donate them to the Ukrainian people,” Liu said. “That was really touching.”
MOFA has put together a list of goods that can be donated, and said only items on the list will be accepted out of practical and safety considerations.
The list includes thermal clothing (men, women, and children), blankets, sleeping bags, lighting devices, and first aid kits, wheelchairs, walking sticks, raincoats, candles, biscuits, milk powder, diapers (adult and baby), and basic medical supplies.
It also includes basic medications such as antibiotics and other drugs, preferably in ampoule form.
All donated goods must be unopened and in their original packaging, and that their expiry date (where applicable) must be at least six months away.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel