U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR)
OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA)
Background:
An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale at 0147 local time September
21, 1999 struck Taiwan.=A0 The epicenter was located 12.5 km west of Sun-Moon
Lake in Rural Nantou County in Central Taiwan, and has been followed by
a series of aftershocks.=A0 There has been substantial damage to housing
and infrastructure, especially in Taichung City.=A0 Numerous high rise structures
have collapsed or are uninhabitable, including buildings in Taichung, Chunghwa
and Yunlin counties, and electricity has been cut in most parts of the
island.=A0 Major airports continue to function normally. The Pacific Tsunami
Warning Center indicates there is no threat of a Pacific-wide tsunami,
although some areas may experience small sea-level changes.
Numbers Affected:
The Taiwan Interior Ministry's disaster management center reports 1,198
people killed, 3,700 injured and 1,245 trapped, while Taiwan's state-run
television reports at least 1,455 dead. Most of the victims were from the
central city of Taichung and nearby Nantou.=A0 Nantou officials estimate
100,000 people have been left homeless.=A0 USAID is in the process of reviewing
requests for assistance.=A0 (Please see web-site for information on donations
guidelines.)
U.S. Government Response:
Taiwan authorities have formally requested Search and Rescue (SAR) teams
to supplement on-going search and rescue efforts.=A0 The request was channeled
to the United States through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which
manages the United States Government's unofficial relationship with Taiwan.=A0
AIT sent representatives to Nantou to verify the status of the American
community, as AIT has not been able to contact its wardens by telephone.
The USG mobilized a 19-person advance team, which departed Dulles Airport at 0240 hours on September 21 and is scheduled to arrive in Taiwan at 1000 local time September 22.=A0 A 71-person team from Fairfax County Search and Rescue departed Dover Air Force Base at 0953 hours and has a scheduled flight time of 18 hours. Two structural engineers from Miami-Dade Search and Rescue will deploy as well.
Relief Efforts:
A United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team will
deploy to the region to assist in assessment and coordinating international
relief efforts, and the Government of Japan will dispatch a 30-person emergency
relief team.=A0 The Russian Federation, Switzerland and the United Kingdom
have teams on stand-by.=A0 China also has expressed its willingness to provide
assistance to reduce losses from the earthquake.
Contact Information:
Media - USAID Press Officer at (202) 712-4320
Public Information Center - (202) 712-4810
Congressional Liaison - (202) 712-4330
Past Factsheets can be obtained from
the USAID web site at:
http://www.info.usaid.gov/hum=5Fresponse/ofda/situation.html