Taiwan firms donate 1.11 million face masks to Ukraine, Estonia

Taipei, Feb. 4 (CNA) Two Taiwanese companies on Tuesday donated 1.11 million medical face masks to Ukraine and Estonia for frontline battlefield personnel and workers at medical institutions.

In a ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Taipei headquarters, which helps to facilitate the donation made by Motex Healthcare and Taiwan Comfort Champ Manufacturing, Deputy Foreign Minister François Wu (吳志中) said the donation was another manifestation of the Taiwan government's slogan of "Taiwan can help and that Taiwan is helping."

According to Wu, one million masks will go to Ukraine and 110,000 to Estonia.

Wu said that Taiwan has partnered with Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and other like-minded countries on joint humanitarian aid projects and reconstruction following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Most recently, Taiwan donated electrical generators and 2,600 laptops to Ukraine in November 2024, Wu said.

Wu added that MOFA has so far allocated more than US$130 million for infrastructure projects such as bridges, hospitals, churches, and schools, while private donations by people in Taiwan have exceeded US$32 million.

Estonian lawmaker Kristo Enn Vaga, who is currently visiting Taiwan, also participated in Tuesday's ceremony, having helped facilitate the donation in conjunction with MOFA, the Estonian Rescue Board and Estonia's health ministry.

In his address, the chairman of the Estonia-Taiwan Support Group of the Parliament of Estonia said the mask donations "will help save lives" on the frontlines in Ukraine amid a supply shortage.

He added that he would transport the masks by the end of spring to hospitals and military units on the frontlines.

MOFA is supporting the humanitarian aid project by sponsoring the sea freight fees from Taiwan to Tallinn, Estonia.