Family Emergencies in Taiwan

Unforeseen emergencies such as natural disasters, diseases, accidents, and unemployment can drive low-income families deeper into poverty as they struggle to pay the costs of rebuilding homes, maintaining livelihoods and medical care. Many families in Taiwan are facing increasing hardship especially in the midst of economic and financial crisis.

According to World Vision Taiwan's domestic services report in 2010, over 20,000 families received medical relief and emergency aid subsidies. Those families delayed medical treatment because they could not afford national health insurance, or did not receive care for serious illness or during emergency medical conditions because of unaffordable costs. Some even failed to pay funeral expenses after the death of loved ones.

Lacking critical financial and social support systems, vulnerable families unable to cope with emergency circumstances are at high risk for falling apart.

World Vision Taiwan is scaling up interventions to meet the rising needs of families in emergencies through home visitations, consultancy, and financial support.