Ethiopian students at Tri Service General Hospital in Taipei in 2018 Ethiopian students at Tri Service General Hospital in Taipei in 2018 (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Following accusations of racism leveled at Taiwan by World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the island nation revealed it had been providing development assistance to his native Ethiopia.

The WHO chief has received sharp criticism for his handling of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This includes his pro-China attitude and rejection of Taiwan’s offers of aid.

Following Tedros' public accusation of racism, Taiwan said it had been assisting the development of healthcare in Ethiopia, including training medical staff. Other domains where the island country had been active for many years ranged from education and women’s rights, to food and water supplies, according to the International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).

In 2018, five Ethiopians received free medical training at Mackay Memorial Hospital and Tri Service General Hospital, while numerous Ethiopians also benefited from Taiwan's non-governmental organizations, CNA reported. A hospital, the local charter of Kiwanis International and donations from the public also helped pay for the cost of a deep vein thrombosis operation for an Ethiopian student in Taiwan.