Stacey Levitt
June 19, 2008
Photo: Wang Ning/World Vision
Having lost everything in the devastating earthquake, these children combed through the debris to salvage usable items.
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As China struggles to deal with the aftermath—and aftershocks—of the May 12, 7.9-magnitude earthquake that claimed the lives of 70,000 and displaced nearly 5 million people to date, a new threat has emerged which places the lives and homes of those already suffering at greater risk.
The summer typhoon season in China has just begun, with heavy rains, flooding and landslides already killing at least 176 people and forcing the evacuation of an additional 1.66 million people—110,000 of whom were from Sichuan province, near the epicenter of last month’s quake.
Survivors have been relocated several times to refugee camps scattered across neighboring provinces due to potential danger from aftershocks and "quake lakes," formed when huge piles of debris and dislodged soil blocked rivers.
Government officials are reporting that conditions in these camps are dismal and overcrowded, with some refugees living six to a small tent. In addition, many camps remain inaccessible due to the destruction of roads by mud and rock slides. “The situation is critical,” said one local official.
Authorities say that this season’s flooding is the worst to hit the Pearl River Delta region in 50 years, and the news agency Xinhua reports that torrential rains are expected to pound the region for another 10 days, raising water levels further.
Member Charity Disaster Relief
Photo: Stringer China/Reuters
A child is buried under the rubble at the earthquake-hit Beichuan County.
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Aid agencies, including Global Impact member charities are in contact with the authorities and are assessing the situation in preparation for immediate disaster assistance and long-term recovery.
AmeriCares recently completed construction of a 15-bed field hospital in Qingchuan, China, fully staffed by local doctors and equipped with donated supplies. Qingchuan Hospital, which had formerly served the region’s 250,000 residents, was damaged beyond use following the 7.9-magnitde earthquake and its many aftershocks.
The field hospital follows AmeriCares initial emergency shipment of medicines, medical supplies and blankets to the affected areas, which arrived May 22. The shipment was among the first aid to Chinese earthquake victims provided by international private organizations.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has committed $100,000 to support relief efforts in the wake of the powerful May 12 earthquake. CRS and local partners have assessment teams on the ground identifying the scale of devastation and loss, and the ways to best provide immediate and long-term support for survivors. The teams found hygienic conditions to be dire and the needs of children paramount.
Church World Service/CROP has issued an appeal in the amount of $200,000 to provide aid to survivors of the earthquake by working with a long-time partner in China with a focus on relief for some 8,000 families whose homes were destroyed and are among the most vulnerable.
International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) will provide cash support to its partners who are on the ground and evaluating the damage throughout the affected areas. IOCC’s cash grant will help provide emergency relief supplies for the survivors, including rice, cooking oil, quilts, and tarpaulins. Funding will also provide 16,000 individuals with food sufficient to sustain them through the immediate shortage.
Lutheran World Relief plans to respond through international partners working in China.
Mercy Corps is on the ground assisting earthquake survivors in China's Sichuan Province. The organization has procured and delivered critical supplies—such as water, noodles, milk and shelter items—to displaced families who have lost their homes and is now coordinating plans for longer-term recovery and reconstruction, with a special focus on education, counseling and activities for youth.
Supplementing their inital shipment of supplies, Mercy Corps is also distributing 10,000 "Family Kits" to earthquake-displaced families still sleeping in tents or makeshift shelters. The kits, which come in a re-usable bucket or plastic container, are packed with two weeks' worth of hygiene supplies, including first aid supplies, toothpaste, toothbrushes and soap. At least 10,000 school-supply kits also will be distributed.
Project HOPE has received cash donations and commitments totaling nearly $1 million. Existing staff in China continues to remain in contact with the Ministry of Health, the Sichuan Bureau of Health and local hospitals in the quake region to determine medical needs and logistical arrangements for getting medicines into the right hands. In addition, the Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Project HOPE's flagship program in China, has dispatched two surgeons and four nurses to the quake zone to help with relief efforts.
Salvation Army World Service Office made contact with a partner in an area severely affected by the earthquake. Small distributions of food, water and other emergency supplies will be carried when the team can purchase supplies locally. Emergency funding of $30,000 has been approved for the operation.
Save the Children is providing tents, tables, chairs, and other school supplies to damaged schools in communities in Chongqing, China. Staff members are already on the ground assisting one school impacted by the earthquake and are conducting an assessment of other schools affected by the earthquake so it can expand its efforts.
For children whose caregivers have survived, Save the Children plans to establish five temporary child-friendly spaces in Deyang Prefecture in Sichuan Province. These child-friendly spaces will create a sense of normalcy and provide a safe place for children to play, learn and socialize. These areas also will help to support parents and caregivers while they seek assistance, recover from the grief of losing family and friends, and start to rebuild their lives.
For children who have no caregivers, Save the Children will support the Women's Federation of Sichuan Province to create four temporary child-friendly centers in Mianyang, Deyang and Chengdu, while family tracing begins.
U.S. Fund for UNICEF landed two cargo planes of relief supplies, including 16 tons worth of tents and 15,000 blankets. Shelter—even temporary shelter—is absolutely essential to children and families who have lost their homes. And intense fear of aftershocks has led many families that still do have homes to sleep outside, making tents nearly impossible to obtain by regular means.
World Vision plans to reach 265,000 earthquake survivors with immediate and long-term assistance, including distribution of additional tents, shelter materials, food, quilts, medical supplies, and other urgent necessities. Distributions have already begun in Qingchuan County, where World Vision conducts a community development program. Long-term rehabilitation will focus on economic recovery, including the reconstruction of 50 schools, 15 dormitories, 5,800 homes and several health clinics. In total, the organization plans to assist 1.1 million people in Sichuan and the neighboring provinces over the next two to three years.
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