The government said today that it has decided to donate US$1.3 million in relief and reconstruction aid to the United States, parts of which were recently devastated by Superstorm Sandy.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that US$1 million will be donated to charities based in Washington that are engaged in rescue work.

The rest will be distributed to the states of New Jersey and New York and New York City, which were among the hardest-hit areas, the statement said.

This afternoon at the City Hall – New York City, Ambassador Andrew Kao donated a check of US $100,000 to New York City on behalf of TAIWAN government to support #HurricaneSandy Relief effort. City Council Speaker Ms. Christine C. Quinn represented New York residents to receive the donation.

On Nov 17th at 7pm, Taiwanese communities will donate a check to Breezy Point firemen that many of them were the first responders at 9/11 terrorist attack and now are homeless.

Sheila Paskman, chief of the Public Diplomacy Section of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), expressed gratitude for Taiwan’s donations. The U.S. thanks Taiwan and other countries for extending a helping hand in time of difficulty, she said.

The AIT represents U.S. interests in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Sandy, one of the biggest storms to hit the U.S. in decades, made landfall on the New Jersey coastline Oct. 29.

It claimed at least 48 lives and caused mass transit shutdowns in the eastern U.S., flooding in large parts of New York City, and power outages that left millions of households without electricity, according to reports.

Source from Focus Taiwan ‘)}