[Press Release] Shelter Needs Remain Critical in China's Quake Zone

from World Vision

Some 5 million are homeless following last week's devastating temblor; materials for temporary shelter urgently needed.

As China enters three days of national mourning for the now 32,000 confirmed dead following the May 12 quake, World Vision continues to distribute aid and survey the needs of devastated communities in Sichuan Province.

Our 12 local staff members in Qingchuan County, who began responding almost immediately after the disaster, are finding that temporary shelter remains the most urgent necessity for survivors in hard-hit areas. Tents and shelter materials, mainly plastic sheets, are in greatest need.

"In Mianzhu, a hard-hit region, survivors are camping out on streets, and basic needs like food, tents, and water are seriously lacking," said Mei Mei Leung, World Vision's senior relief officer for China.
Relief team at work

In response, World Vision plans to bring in another 4,000 plastic sheets, 3,000 quilts, and 50 tents this week to assist affected communities. This is in addition to the 800 tents, 30,000 quilts, 464,100 kilograms of food, and 2,000 shelter tarpaulins we have already planned to provide to survivors. Distributions have already begun in Qingchuan County, where World Vision conducts a community development program.

World Vision's relief team has worked around the clock to conduct post-quake assessment and relief work in several quake-stricken areas. Staff are reporting that many villagers have lost all of their possessions and are grieving over the deaths of their loved ones.

"In Deyang City of Shifang County, many victims have lost one or more loved ones to this calamity and they are in deep grief," said Leung.

'It was a nightmare'

Leung and her team visited more than 1,000 survivors in Shifang County's Deyang City on May 16. They assessed the most urgent needs in the area and distributed child-friendly kits and disaster preparedness manuals to affected children.

Li Yao, 9, survived her school building's collapse after her teacher pushed her out from their third-story classroom. Only six other pupils from her class survived, and more than 200 of the 300 students in her primary school were killed in the quake. Li Yao and her family shared their story with World Vision staff at a government shelter in Shifang.

"It was a nightmare," said Li Yao's mother, who recounted how the family walked out of their devastated mountain village while shielding the little girl's eyes from the bodies lining the streets.
Addressing children's emotional and physical needs

To address the unique needs of children orphaned or otherwise affected by the quake, World Vision plans to open three Child-Friendly Spaces in the coming days. Games and activities in a safe environment will help children regain a sense of normalcy after their difficult experiences.

World Vision also remains concerned about children's physical needs, especially in remote areas where aid has just begun to reach.

"Thousands of victims, including children, are still barely surviving in appalling conditions where food and water are scarcely provided," reports Kevin Chiu, chief executive officer of World Vision's Hong Kong office, who joined our China staff in visiting hard-hit areas this past weekend.

Chiu and the team went on to warn that safe drinking water and nutritious food must urgently reach the youngest survivors of this quake.

Relief distribution continues despite flooding scare

Meanwhile, World Vision staff in Qingchuan County had begun a quilt and tent distribution on May 17 when warnings came of the potential flooding from a local river. The staff stopped the distribution and evacuated the area, but after the flood warning was called off by the authorities, World Vision was able to continue distributing quilts and tents to families in Liangshui and Qiaozhuang Townships in the county.

World Vision plans to reach more than 123,000 survivors with relief and rehabilitation activities totaling about $2 million. Long-term rehabilitation activities will focus on shelter and school reconstruction.
Two ways you can help

>> Pray for children and families in China who have been affected by this deadly earthquake, and pray that aid agencies like World Vision would quickly acquire the resources they need to come to the assistance of those who have been left devastated by this disaster.

>> Donate now to help provide emergency relief to survivors of the recent earthquake in China. Your gift will help World Vision deliver life-saving assistance, including food, water, and shelter, to desperate children and families.