TAIWAN: Typhoon Morakot survivors in southern Taiwan move into newly reconstructed homes

Record ID: 791771

  • Title: TAIWAN: Typhoon Morakot survivors in southern Taiwan move into newly reconstructed homes
  • Date: 7th February 2010
  • Summary: SANLINGSHAN, KAOHSIUNG COUNTY, TAIWAN (FEBRUARY 5, 2010) (REUTERS) ENTRANCE TO THE PERMANENT HOUSING COMPOUND WORKERS MOVING STONE BLOCKS WORKER FILLING UP HOLES WITH STONE VARIOUS OF EXCAVATORS OPERATING IN FRONT OF PERMANENT HOUSES WORKERS / UNFINISHED HOUSES WORKERS CHECKING STEEL STRUCTURE OF HOUSES VILLAGERS GATHERING IN FRONT OF UNFINISHED HOUSES TWO VOLUNTEERS CARRYING CLOSET WORKERS CARRYING CLOSET INTO UNFINISHED HOUSE VILLAGERS LOOKING ON (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 48-YEAR-OLD CHEN TAI PAO-CHIN, SAYING: "Of course I love the new house. They (my old and new houses) are so different. I can't describe (the state of) our old houses. I can't compare. Plus the new houses are handed to us for free, we are very happy." OFFICIAL LOOKING AT DOCUMENT DOCUMENT OFFICIALS / VILLAGERS VILLAGERS WALKING TOWARDS HOUSES VARIOUS OF WORKERS PUTTING FINAL TOUCHES TO HOUSES WOMAN CLEANING KITCHEN WOMAN LOOKING ON WOMAN DOING CLEANING WORK WITH HER DAUGHTER (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) TAI SHOW-JEN, 36-YEAR-OLD, SAYING: "At first, we didn't want to move here because we are used to living in the mountains. We checked the new houses and they're good but still we don't want to live here. But there is no choice, we can't live in the house in the mountains and we need a home. So we moved, reluctantly." WORKERS GATHERING MAN SPEAKING ON PODIUM VILLAGERS LOOKING ON WOMAN CHEWING BEETLE NUTS VARIOUS OF LIN PI YU, VICE-CEO OF TAIWAN BUDDHIST TZU CHIF, SPEAKING ON PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) LIN PI-YU, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF TAIWAN BUDDHIST TZU CHIF ORGANISATION, SPEAKING: "We plan to build the first patch of permanent houses in Haiti in the next project. We communicate well with the local government." PERMANENT HOUSES CHURCH
  • Embargoed: 22nd February 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVAJJCCD4SZKJAW03YJWRAB8BZK
  • Story Text: The first batch of 500 families move into permanent houses in southern Taiwan after a deadly typhoon killed 770 people last August.
    Typhoon Morakot survivors on Friday (February 5) moved into the first batch of permanent houses six months after the deadly storm that claimed the lives of 770 people.
    The government has spent some 200 million Taiwan dollars ($6.25 million) building new permanent houses for people who lost their homes.
    Five hundred families are due to move in by February 11, two days before the Chinese lunar new year. Another one hundred families will move in by end of February.
    Chen Tai Pao-chin, a 48-year-old survivor, considered herself lucky.
    "Of course I love the new house. They (my old and new houses) are so different. I can't describe (the state of) our old houses. I can't compare. Plus the new houses are handed to us for free, we are very happy," Chen said.
    Taiwan's population, the world's 15th densest, has pushed many to build houses far into the mountains. Experts have expressed concerns over people ignoring safety.
    However, 36-year-old Tai Show-jen said she was reluctant to leave the mountains.
    "At first, we didn't want to move here because we are used to living in the mountains. We checked the new houses and they're good but still we don't want to live here. But there is no choice, we can't live in the house in the mountains and we need a home. So we moved, reluctantly," Tai said.
    The families lucky enough to move into the new houses are only a small group out of more than 1,000 southern Taiwan households.
    Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chif Organisation, a charity group which helped with building some of the new houses is also planning on offering support to the survivors of earthquake-devastated Haiti.
    Lin Pu-yu, deputy director of Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chif Organisation said the organisation was already planning projects there.
    "We plan to build the first patch of permanent houses in Haiti in the next project. We communicate well with the local government," Lin said.
    One Taiwan high-tech firm will introduce organic agriculture in resettled communities with a pledge to help raise household income by an average of 15 percent, according to the Public Construction Commission.
    Taiwan's worst floods in 50 years triggered by typhoon Morakot has caused President Ma Ying-jeou's popularity to sink, with critics drawing attention to his administration's lack of preparation and inability to respond adequately.
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