Tears for Taiwan

The planned celebration of the 30th anniversary of trade ties between Taiwan and Israel will be held under a cloud of grief over the vast loss of life, serious injuries, and substantial damage to property after last week’s 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Hualien County.

Taiwan’s biggest earthquake in at least 25 years killed at least 12 people on Wednesday, April 3, injuring more than 900, while 50 hotel workers were missing en route to a national park, authorities said, as rescuers used ladders to bring others to safety.

Television broadcast images of buildings tilted at precarious angles in the mountainous, sparsely populated eastern county of Hualien, near the epicenter of the 7.4 magnitude quake, which struck just offshore at about 8 a.m. (0000GMT). “It was very strong. It felt as if the house was going to topple,” said Chang Yu-lin, 60, a worker in a hospital in Taipei, the capital.

The anniversary event by way of a conference held in conjunction with Zulat, the Movement for Equality and Human Rights, will take place on Monday, April 8 at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque and will also include a Taiwanese film, “Who’ll Stop the Rain?”

Conference participants will include the head of the Taiwanese mission in Israel Yaping Abby Lee, Zulat President and former head of Meretz Zehava Galon, former MK Nira Shpak, who is a member of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, Dr. Manal Totry Jubran of the Bar-Ilan University Law Faculty, and Pnina Tamano-Shata, who chairs the Knesset Committee on the Advancement of the Status of Women, with Zulat CEO Einat Ovadia as moderator. (JPost / VFI News)

“Lord, we pray for all the people in Taiwan who experienced tremendous losses last Wednesday due to the high-magnitude earthquake. May You restore their spirit, and everything that was lost, and heal the wounded as soon as possible. We pray for the families of the citizens who lost their lives, and we trust that You will comfort them and give them peace, and strength to navigate this trying period. We send our heartfelt condolences to them and we pray for the people who are still missing. May they be found quickly and return to their loving families.”

The suggestions, opinions, and scripture references made by VFI News writers and editors are based on the best information received.

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