Taipei, June 30 (CNA) In an effort to support emergency response efforts in Ukraine, a Taiwanese businessman based in Changhua County has refurbished and donated a total of 48 retired emergency vehicles, including ambulances. The vehicles will soon be delivered to Ukraine to aid rescue workers in their on-the-ground crisis response.
During a donation ceremony held on Friday, Pai Tsan-Jung, the head of Sun Jen Textile Co. in Shenkang Township, expressed that the idea came to him after a friend discussed plans to assist the war-torn country.
Originally, the plan was to purchase used emergency vehicles from overseas and have them directly shipped to Ukraine. However, this approach turned out to be prohibitively expensive, according to Pai.
As an alternative, Pai decided to acquire retired ambulances and fire trucks from the government and have them refurbished by local garages before donating them to Ukraine.
Initially, the plan was to send approximately four vehicles to Ukraine, but the mission’s scale expanded exponentially after receiving a donation of around 100 government-owned emergency vehicles from various locations across Taiwan, according to Pai.
Pai mentioned that he has already invested around NT$10 million (US$320,838) in refurbishing the vehicles. The first batch is scheduled to be shipped to Ukraine on July 13, with support from the non-profit organization Taiwan Association of Community Advancement (TACA) and the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT).
During the ceremonial event, Chang Tsai-kai, the head of TACA, stated that despite being retired in Taiwan, the refurbished vehicles can continue to serve a valuable purpose in Ukraine.
Vincent Yao, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of European Affairs, and Olga Kulish, a representative of Ukrainians residing in Taiwan, were also present at the event.
Kulish explained that since the outbreak of the war, the lack of medical resources has been a critical issue in Ukraine. Numerous hospitals have been destroyed, and there is a general shortage of ambulances and fire engines.
Expressing her gratitude, Kira Rudik, leader of the liberal political party Holos, conveyed her thanks to the people of Taiwan for the donated emergency vehicles, emphasizing their significance in saving lives in Ukraine.
In a pre-recorded video, Rudik acknowledged Taiwan’s ongoing support to Ukraine since the start of the war, highlighting the unwavering nature of this assistance.
Rudik recalled that when Ukraine was invaded 16 months ago, few believed that Ukrainians could withstand the aggression for such an extended period, perhaps only a matter of days.
However, she emphasized that Ukraine continues to persevere because its people are fiercely fighting for their freedom and future.
