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At the request of the Government of Japan, the HKSAR Government has arranged to procure and ship 30,000 cans of preserved food and 100,000 pairs of socks to Japan to help the victims of the earthquake and tsunami and the subsequent nuclear radiation leakage from the Fukushima nuclear plants.
The first batch of relief supplies, comprising 20,000 cans of preserved food, arrived at Tokyo on April 9 and were delivered to Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture the next day for distribution to the victims. The second batch of relief supplies, comprising 10,000 cans of preserved food and 30,000 pairs of socks, which will be delivered to victims in Fukushima Prefecture and Miyagi Prefecture respectively, are scheduled to arrive at Tokyo tomorrow (April 19). The remaining 70,000 pairs of socks are scheduled to be delivered to Japan before the end of this month.
The donation of relief supplies to the Government of Japan was funded by a grant of $5 million from the Disaster Relief Fund as recommended by the Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee. Free freight arrangements have been offered by Cathay Pacific Airways.
The Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee is responsible for advising the Government on policy and practices regarding the disbursement of funding for disaster relief from the Disaster Relief Fund, which was established in December 1993 for emergency disaster relief in places outside Hong Kong, as well as advising on specific amounts for recipients, and monitoring the use of grants.
The committee is chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration. Members include Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, Mr V Nee Yeh, Mrs Sophie Leung Lau Yau-fun, Mr Wong Sing-chi, Mrs Alice Chong Yuk Tak-fun, Mr Leo Kung Lin-cheng, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury and the Secretary for Labour and Welfare.
Ends/Monday, April 18, 2011
Issued at HKT 18:51
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