The Executive Yuan on August 5 pledged to arrange temporary housing for typhoon victims in Hualien County's Xiulin Township and to disburse disaster compensation funds within one week.
Xiulin sustained heavy flood damage as it was the location of Typhoon Saola's landfall on August 2.
The pledge came at a meeting called by Premier Sean Chen and attended by the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP), Public Construction Commission (PCC) and Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council. Minister without Portfolio Chern Jenn-chuan, who doubles as CEO of the reconstruction council, was appointed to coordinate relief efforts among the various agencies.
Along with officials from the CIP, PCC, MOI and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Chern will travel to Xiulin at the earliest opportunity to assess land safety and survey residents' willingness to move the village to a new site. The decision on such a relocation project will be made after the evaluation work is complete.
According to the MOI, financial support for this recovery effort will come in part from private-sector organizations, including the MOI-administered Disaster Relief Foundation, the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China and the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation. Government agencies, to cover the costs of relief and assessment work, may adjust their current fiscal year receipts and expenditures as applicable without being subject to Articles 62 and 63 of Budget Act, said Minister Chern.
Premier Chen directed Chern to begin work immediately in accordance with the resolutions of Sunday's meeting. President Ma Ying-jeou, who has expressed deep concern for residents of Xiulin, was briefed by the premier afterward on post-disaster recovery measures and follow-up plans.