Permanent homes brings warmth and hope in winter
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By Guo Dongni, WV China Communications Six months on from China’s devastating Sichuan earthquake communities are beginning to recover from the disaster, which killed more than 69,000 people, left 18,000 missing, injured over one third of a million people and made almost five million homeless. World Vision has been at the forefront of the response, coordinating with the Chinese government to ensure aid is targeted to the right people and geographical areas in three provinces hit by the 8.0 tremblor. Over the last six months the agency’s multi-million dollar response has grown to meet the enormous needs. Just hours after the quake on May 12 local staff supplied the first aid, which soon mushroomed into the provision of tons of tents, relief packages and dozens of safe play places where children could sing, learn and escape the distress of the devastation that was all around them. Today, World Vision’s staff are moving on from the relief phase into the rehabilitation phase of the response with a key priority to help those who lost homes to rebuild their properties through the provision of cash subsidies. World Vision plans to financially assist in the building of 5,800 homes across Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces providing an average of US$1,500 subsidy per home. 260 survivor families in Shaanxi Province who have already received their subsidies should be living in permanent homes before winter arrives in earnest. Staff are also helping children prepare for the coming harsh weather by handing out 14,000 quilts and 12,000 warm winter clothing. Apart from providing tens of thousands of aid items World Vision is also supporting the health, education and agricultural sectors and rehabilitating infrastructure. World Vision’s response programme amounts to US$55 million, much of it given by generous ethnic Chinese donors living in Hong Kong and in countries where World Vision raises funds. Over 200 staff have been involved in the response. Franco Fu, World Vision's Response Manager for the China Earthquake, said: "Responding to the massive humanitarian needs has been a huge challenge. People lost so much - their loved ones, their homes, their livelihoods. But the Chinese people are tough and World Vision staff who are ourselves Chinese have found it inspiring working alongside people who are so motivated to lift their lives out of the rubble and on to recovery. Things will take years to get back to normal but in the first six months we have made a good start and within the coming year many thousands should be resettled permanently in their homes while thousands of children should be back in new or repaired schools." Spokespeople Victor Kan, HEA Director - stationed in Hong Kong Office: (+852) 2309-6161 Cell: (+852) 9181-9586 Meimei Leung, Assistant HEA Manager - stationed in Tianjin, China Cell: (+86) 138-2129-3179 Media Coordinator Priscilla Tin, Senior Communications Officer - stationed in Hong Kong Office: (+852) 2309-6151 Cell: (+852) 9324-9315 Nov 5-14, 2008 in Sichuan Cell: (+86) 137-1475-1810 |
