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Emergency
appeal to assist victims of severe floods in China 2 August 2006 The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is launching an emergency appeal for almost six million Swiss francs ($4.8 million USD/€3.8 million) to support the Red Cross Society of China in assisting 240,000 people affected by heavy flooding in the south of the country. The appeal aims to help highly vulnerable people in Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian provinces – the areas hardest hit by torrential typhoon rains, which have ravaged rural areas and caused some of the worst flooding in recent years. The funds will be used to provide food, tents, and quilts for 60,000 families over the next 12 months. In addition, the International Federation plans to support 1,200 poor displaced families in rebuilding their homes in the provinces of Hunan, Jiangxi and Guangxi. Each year, hundreds of people are killed during China’s flood season, which traditionally lasts from June to September, but this year the typhoons and tropical storms arrived early and the number of flood-related deaths has already soared to more than 1,460. “Over the past three months, millions of people have been forced to evacuate and hundreds of thousands of rural farmers have lost both their homes and their livelihoods,” said Alistair Henley, the head of the International Federation’s East Asia regional delegation in Beijing. Officials estimate that over one million houses have been damaged and more than 253 million people have been affected by the flooding, which has also destroyed millions of acres of farmland and forests. “Floods take an especially heavy toll on women in rural areas because they’re the ones staying behind to farm the land and take care of their children and aging parents, while their husbands and brothers go off to the cities to earn money to send back home as migrant workers,” said Wang Ping, the head of relief services for the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC). Volunteers and staff from the RCSC have already distributed relief supplies, including tents, water purification tablets, rice and blankets to tens of thousands of people displaced by the flooding. The International Federation has also released 213,000 Swiss francs ($172,291 USD/€135,684) from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to support the RCSC’s response. With over 23 million members, the RCSC is well-positioned to respond quickly when disaster strikes. The National Society also maintains a nationwide network of Regional Disaster Preparedness Centres, which are stocked with relief supplies and serve as focal points for training staff and volunteers in disaster management, logistics and first aid. View the China floods appeal. For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact: In Beijing: Helena Laatio, Regional Information Delegate Tel: +86 139 117 106 35 In Geneva: Anna Nelson, Media Officer Tel. + 41 22 730 4381 / + 41 79 724 2046 Media Service, duty phone (out of hours) Tel. + 41 79 416 38 81 The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 185 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. © International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies |
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