U.N. team to assist Taiwan reconstruction

“The U.N. experts will exchange views on reconstruction after the disaster” with local officials, Su Jun-pin, spokesman for the island's Cabinet, said by telephone yesterday, without giving an arrival date for the delegation, or size of the team.

The U.N. group will consist of three experts and will be the first U.N. humanitarian delegation to visit Taiwan since a similar mission after a 1999 earthquake, the Taipei-based China Times reported earlier yesterday. The island isn't a member of the world body.

Taiwan has received assistance from the U.S., the European Union, Australia and some Asian neighbors that don't maintain formal diplomatic ties with the island. Taiwan is “grateful” for international assistance, the foreign ministry said on its Web site.

Personnel from the U.S. left yesterday after delivering relief supplies and helping transport rescue equipment, the defense ministry said in a statement. Fourteen containers of prefabricated housing donated by China arrived at the southern port of Kaohsiung on Aug. 18, according to the Taiwan government.

At least 163 people died and 503 remain missing after Morakot pummeled Taiwan Aug. 6-9, dumping record rainfall that caused floods and landslides, burying villages and destroying roads, according to the National Fire Agency. Premier Liu Chao- shiuan said that 490 of the missing were presumed dead, which would raise the toll to at least 650, the Associated Press reported yesterday. Losses from the damage are estimated at NT$110 billion.

Taiwan started three days of mourning for victims of the typhoon Saturday. President Ma Ying-jeou bowed and presented flowers in Buddhist ceremonies, and national flags were flying at half mast over government buildings, including the presidential office.

Support for Ma dropped to 29 percent, from 66 percent when he took office in May last year and 52 percent at his first anniversary, according to a survey conducted by the United Daily News. About 46 percent of people surveyed said they don't have confidence in his administration's relief and rebuilding efforts, according to the report published Aug. 19.

Defense Minister Chen Chao-min, Cabinet Secretary-General Steve Hsieh, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrew Hsia, Water Resources Agency head Chen Shen-hsien and National Policy Adviser Lin Huo-wang tendered their resignations following the storm.

Ma said an investigation into negligence by members of his administration will be completed by early next month, when punishments will be determined.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory, and most nations don't maintain formal ties with island because of objections from the government in Beijing.

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