Taiwan’s Top Officials To Donate A Month’s Salary For Relief Efforts In Earthquake-struck Turkey

Taipei: Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and top officials in her administration will donate a month’s salary for the relief efforts in earthquake-struck Turkey, the presidential office said on Thursday.

In addition to donations from officials, Taiwan’s government has dispatched two rescue teams comprising a total of 130 members and five rescue dogs.

Meanwhile, members of the public in Taiwan have donated NT$10.33 million (US$343,206) through dedicated accounts set up by the government as of Wednesday evening.

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday admitted there were problems with his government’s initial response to the quake, as the combined reported death toll in Turkey and neighbouring Syria rose past 12,000.

Last year, Tsai and Lai also both donated one month’s salary to aid humanitarian relief efforts for war-torn Ukraine. Tsai earns around T$400,000 ($13,300) a month.