Taiwan covers shipping for Canada NGO's firefighting aid to Guatemala

Toronto, Jan. 27 (CNA) Taiwan's representative office in Canada co-hosted a ceremony with the Guatemalan Consulate in Toronto and the Canadian nonprofit Firefighters Without Borders (FWB) on Monday to commemorate the donation of firefighting equipment to Guatemala.

The event, which took place at the Guatemalan Consulate in Toronto and was attended by Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo, is the first time Guatemala, Taiwan and the Canadian NGO had cooperated, according to Taiwan's top representative in Canada Harry Tseng (曾厚仁).

The Canadian NGO donated a 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) shipping container's quantity of hoses, helmets, ladders and other firefighting items, with shipping costs borne by Taiwan.

FWB Director of Equipment Simon Smith, Deputy Chief of Ottawa Fire Services Nathan Adams, Ambassador of Guatemala to Canada Guisela Godinez Sazo, Consul General of Guatemala in Toronto Myriam Liseth De la Roca Álvarez, and Director of International Relations and Chief of Protocol for the Canadian province of Ontario Veronica Panton also attended the ceremony.

The donation is aimed at countering forest fires, such as those seen in Guatemala in February 2024, Tseng said.