_{Photo: (l-r) Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Amalia Mai and H.E. Lily Li-Wen Hsu, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Belize.}

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. June 20, 2024

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and the National Emergency Management Organization received a generous donation from the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to alleviate the effects of the wildfires that recently affected the country’s western and southern parts.

The rainy season is now well under way, but readers may remember in previous articles of Amandala, throughout May there were countless reports of wildfires happening in those parts above which were reportedly caused by farmers implementing the slash-and-burn method. Those fires were left untamed, causing many acres of forest life to be burned. The wildfires were also attributed to the insane heatwave that Belize endured throughout May with little to no rainfall.

Several accounts of such occurred in San Pedro Colombia Village, Toledo District, where flames stretched to approximately three miles, destroying everything in its path. Also, Mountain Pine Ridge in the Cayo District had an estimated 32% of its vegetation destroyed due to a wildfire.

The effects of the wildfires in the south forced the Government of Belize to trigger its natural disaster plan and commit to donating 1 million dollars to assist the fire victims. Also committing to help victims recover from the wildfires is the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), which donated BZ$100,000 for relief efforts.

The contribution will enable the Government of Belize to procure essential resources such as seeds, seedlings, and other vital supplies. These resources are crucial for supporting farmers and their communities as they work towards restoring their livelihoods and rebuilding the affected areas.

Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Amalia Mai, and Captain (Retd) Daniel Mendez, National Emergency Coordinator, received the donation on behalf of the Government of Belize from H.E. Lily Li-Wen Hsu, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Belize.