On August 7th, 2009, Typhoon Morakot brought heavy wind and rain to Taiwan, causing severe damage. BLIA was the first on-scene in disaster-struck areas, providing food that the victims needed that very night. On the very next day, 50,000kg of rice was sent to trapped villages. Other daily necessities were also sent to calamity areas. In addition, the “Southern Calamity Area Command Center” was set up at Nanzhou Interchange in Pingtung to guide relief efforts. Relief work run by BLIA include providing meals, accommodations, and medical services.
By August 13th, 107 people in Taiwan were confirmed to have been killed by the typhoon. The typhoon also caused $300 million USD in damages. Xiaolin, a mountain village of 1,300 residents in Jiaxian Township, was almost completely buried by a massive mudslide.