MOFA pledges US$500,000 for California wildfire relief

Taipei, Jan. 17 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has announced that it will donate US$500,000 to assist in wildfire relief in Southern California.

In a statement Thursday, MOFA said the donation will be given to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation to support the purchase of professional firefighting equipment.

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles has offered its condolences to the city on behalf of Taiwan's government, and it has mobilized the overseas Taiwanese community and charity organizations to assist with relief work, the statement said.

The groups have already donated tens of thousands of N95 masks to local rescuers, disaster victims and educational institutions to cope with the poor air quality in the region.

Taiwanese communities have also launched fundraisers and supply donations and provided free accommodation for victims, the statement said.

MOFA noted that Taiwan has had sisterhood ties with California for 41 years, and as a sign of that friendship, Taiwanese expatriates are acting in the spirit of "Taiwan can help and Taiwan is helping."

The wildfire in Southern California has killed at least 24 people, destroyed more than 12,300 buildings, and burned 40,695 acres (164.69 square kilometers) of land, according to California government statistics accessed Friday morning.