Taiwan to donate US$100,000 to Belize for storm damage repairs

Taipei, Nov. 9 (CNA) Taiwan will donate US$100,000 to the Caribbean ally of Belize to help repair damage caused by the calamitous storm Eta, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said on Monday.

MOFA said in a statement that it approached Belize Ambassador to Taiwan Diane Haylock to express the government's concern upon learning of the situation.

Ambassador to Belize Remus Chen (陳立國), meanwhile, has also conveyed Taiwan's concern to Belize Governor-General Colville Young, Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington on behalf of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), MOFA said.

Taiwanese expatriates in the Caribbean country, located on the northeastern coast of Central America, are all safe, it noted, adding that Taiwan will provide the assistance to Belize as soon as necessary.

Eta made landfall in Nicaragua on Nov. 3 as a hurricane, before weakening to a tropical depression as it moved into neighboring countries including Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize and Mexico.

Prior to the US$100,000 donation to Belize, Taiwan last week donated US$200,000 each to Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala, three other diplomatic allies hit hard by the storm.