Friday, August 14, 2009

DTN News: Taiwan Comes Under Fire For Typhoon Management

DTN News: Taiwan Comes Under Fire For Typhoon Management *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) TAIPEI, Taiwan - August 14, 2009: As Taiwan grapples with rescue efforts amid the displacement of more than 2,000 people as a result of Typhoon Morakot, complaints are fuming over the way the disaster is being addressed. Following a deadly typhoon last weekend, which dumped three meters (120 inches) of rain and killed more than one hundred people, rescuers managed to airlift nearly 14,000 people to safety. The government and politicians, however, are under continued criticism that they are doing too little, too late. "We are helpless. We are forgotten. We have been waiting for the helicopters without supplies," one villager told AFP. By Thursday morning, the government had counted 108 deaths, 62 people missing and 45 injured, CNN reported. While rain continues to scourge the island, rescue teams use their helicopters to dole out food and medicine among cut-off villagers in central and southern areas. President Ma Ying-jeou, who flied to the typhoon-hit areas to inspect the situation, was met with angry people complaining. "What is the government doing? It's too late, they cannot be saved," they said. As the presence of thousands of Taiwanese troops in the disaster areas continues, the government has asked the international community for help items like helicopters, gravel trucks, disinfectants and chlorine tablets. "I leave everything up to God," Shu Yue Hao told CNN after succeeding to flee the rain in her village Jia Mu.

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