Following the recent earthquake in Ecuador, the Amity Foundation has worked with the Taiwan Cross-Straits Christian Association, the Andrew Charity Association and other charity organisations and philanthropists in Hong Kong in order to provide assistance. This is the first time that civil society groups from the Mainland and Taiwan cooperate in overseas assistance, marking a milestone in cross-strait civil society cooperation. According to the official figures from Ecuador, 659 people are known to have died in the quake, with 40 people still missing and 29,067 resettled by the 26th of April.
On the 28th April, with the assistance of the Ecuadorian Chinese Federation and Yathay (a city in Ecuador), the Amity Foundation started setting up a Service Area for International Aid and resettlement in Chamanga, the epicentre of the quake. Besides taking part in the planning, design and other managerial work for the construction of the Service Area, Amity also offered material assistance, including large sky-like tents, in order to solve the displaced people’s living difficulties as quickly as possible.
The Service Area covers 15 acres, including temporary settlements, central kitchen, temporary classrooms, clinics, community centres and public toilets. It is set up to offer temporary settlement for the quake victims, as well as providing food which contains abundant vegetables, eggs and dairy from the central kitchen. In this way it is hoped that the displaced people can maintain a healthy diet and release some of their stress.
