China |
Disaster Assistance at a Glance
Recent Disaster Declarations:
Earthquake, Winter Emergency
OFDA Response:
Emergency Relief Supplies
OFDA Preparedness:
Capacity Building and Avian Influenza Preparedness
Latest OFDA Report:
China Earthquake Fact Sheet #6 (51kb PDF) |
 |
|
|
Earthquake, 05-13-2008
On May 12, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Wenchuan County in China’s southwest Sichuan Province. Early reports from the Sichuan provincial government indicated the quake had killed an estimated 12,000 people, injured more than 26,000 others, and left thousands buried. The earthquake caused approximately 500,000 buildings to collapse throughout Sichuan Province, according to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. The humanitarian community expected the number of deaths to increase significantly as rescue teams continued to access the most affected areas near the epicenter. Aftershocks occurred through May 13, causing residents of affected areas to temporarily take shelter in tent cities rather than return to damaged houses. On May 13, Chinese rescue teams and army troops arrived in Wenchuan County after storms, inaccessible highways, and severed communications had initially prevented access to the mountainous region. However, vehicular access remained impossible as of May 13, and landslides and storms continued to hamper recovery efforts.
On May 13, U.S. Ambassador Clark T. Randt, Jr., declared a disaster due to the impact of the earthquake. In response, USAID/OFDA provided $500,000 through the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for the procurement and delivery of emergency relief commodities.
Winter Emergency, 02-01-2008
Since January 10, unusually heavy snow and freezing rain affected 14 provinces in south and central China. The severe winter weather killed 38 individuals, displaced nearly 830,000 people, and affected more than 77 million others, according to the Government of China (GOC) Ministry of Civil Affairs. The GOC also reported that severe weather destroyed more than 100,000 houses, damaged nearly 400,000 others, and resulted in economic losses of more than $4.5 billion. Media reports indicated higher totals. As of February 1, the GOC had provided more than $2 billion in disaster relief to nine affected provinces, distributed 500,000 quilts and 250,000 articles of clothing, and mobilized approximately 1 million soldiers and paramilitary troops to clear roads and repair downed power lines.
On February 1, U.S. Ambassador Clark T. Randt, Jr., requested disaster assistance due to the effects of the severe winter weather. In response, USAID/OFDA provided an initial $50,000 to the Red Cross Society of China to provide emergency relief supplies to affected populations in Guizhou Province.
Public Donation Information
The most effective way people can assist relief efforts is by making cash contributions to humanitarian organizations that are conducting relief operations. A list of humanitarian organizations that are accepting cash donations for earthquake response efforts in China can be found at www.interaction.org. USAID encourages cash donations because they allow aid professionals to procure the exact items needed (often in the affected region); reduce the burden on scarce resources (such as transportation routes, staff time, warehouse space, etc); can be transferred very quickly and without transportation costs; support the economy of the disaster-stricken region; and ensure culturally, dietary, and environmentally appropriate assistance.
More information can be found at:
For information on additional USAID disaster responses, please see OFDA Annual Reports.
Back to Top ^ |
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
