As Haiti endures a severe food shortage in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, Republic of China's (Taiwan) Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces a donation of 5,600 metric tons of rice to Haiti this year through Food For The Poor.

The rice will be sent to Haiti in 7 shipments of 40 containers each, with the first one leaving Taiwan in May and arriving in Haiti in June. The shipments will continue throughout the year until December.

The latest donation of rice will provide 49 million meals.

Food For The Poor President/CEO Robin Mahfood greeted Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee of the Republic of China (Taiwan) at the charity's office and warehouse in Port-au-Prince to express his gratitude "This is a true blessing to so many Haitians who will benefit from this donation of rice, especially for those who depend on Food For The Poor as their only source of food for their day," Mahfood said.

The generosity of Taiwan's donation comes at a crucial time as the number of Haitians facing hunger and food insecurity has grown to more than 1.5 million due to the impact of the hurricane, coupled with effects of years of drought and severe flooding.

Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 storm that hit the Caribbean country on Oct. 4, wiped out crops, drowned most livestock and destroyed critical infrastructure, according to the United Nations.

Food For The Poor will distribute the donated rice to sponsored programs, one of which is the charity's feeding center in Port-au-Prince. Approximately 15,000 hot meals are cooked and distributed from this location six days a week.

HL/ HaitiLibre