The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, is by far the most important holiday for the Chinese people, and traditionally represents the time of year when family is happily reunited, sharing the good fortune of the coming year with feasts and the traditional gifts of ‘hong bao’ - red envelops filled with money.
But for millions of Chinese across the southern, central and eastern parts of the country, this year’s Spring Festival has turned into a winter disaster.
Since 10 January, snow and ice storms blanketing 20 provinces and municipalities of China have affected an estimated 7.8 million people, with at least 1.76 million requiring relocation and killing more than 60. Heavy snow and ice accumulation have toppled 223,000 homes and damaged another 862,000, and it is reported that 9.4 million hectares of farmland have been covered with at least one million lost to the disaster. Latest figures show that economic losses are already soaring at an estimated 8.24 billion Swiss francs.
“The weather has also left many families without enough food for their feasts, and in hundreds of thousands of cases has forced families to face the New Year with only a tent or make shift shelter to keep out the cold,” explained Carl Naucler, the head of the International Federation’s East Asia regional delegation.
“Even now, entire regions are without power, and the weeks of cold weather have brought frostbite and other health concerns to the millions affected.”
Xue Weidong had been looking forward to his Spring Festival vacation all school year. Every year, Xue travels home to Shen Tang Pu village in Hubei province from the Number One Secondary School of Tong Xian County where he boards as a high school student. However, this year, just as school was letting out on January 21, his village was hit by the second blizzard of the year, and he returned home to find his house toppled from the weight of the snow and ice.
His father, who is deaf, and his mother, who has a disabled hand, were at a loss for how they would rebuild. Reconstruction of a simple three-room house costs at least 30,000 Yuan (4,600 Swiss francs) and Xue’s family has very little money and his older brother has left home to work in the city. It was up to Xue, his mother and his father to build a simple lean-to shack against the nearby hillside in order to avoid the cold.
Neighbors helped gather basic supplies and stacked fallen bricks against the edges of the shack to provide extra protection. The local government delivered food and some money to help Xue’s family to find a small room to stay in during the cold nights. On 5 February, a Red Cross joint assessment team from the Hubei Red Cross, Hong Kong Red Cross and Macao Red Cross visited Xue’s village and provided some financial assistance to Xue’s family as well. The Hubei Red Cross has arranged for the purchase of winter quilts for the villagers to protect them from the continuing freezing weather.
Access remains difficult
Branches of the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) across the region have been struggling to access the disaster-affected areas. Many remote villages are still blocked by poor road conditions, and the Red Cross branches have been using locally available relief items to avoid transportation complications.
The RCSC has launched a national appeal with immediate responses from both the private and public sector totaling nearly 60 million Yuan (about9.17 million Swiss francs). The donations will enable local Red Cross branches to buy and distribute desperately needed food, medicine, quilts, winter coats and other supplies to affected communities. Beyond that, the RCSC is looking at long term relief, such as the possible reconstruction of housing.
Transport chaos
The bitterly cold weather and heavy snow have played havoc with transport routes. Hundreds of thousands were stranded at major transport hubs, such as Guangzhou and Shanghai train stations. It wasn’t until 5 February, the day before the national holiday commenced, that train stations were finally cleared of backlog traffic and congested highways were cleared for travel.
For many, this means families can still be reunited just in time. However, hundreds of thousands will rely on relief food supplies, donated warm clothing and temporary shelters to welcome in the New Year. For Xue and his family, and the many others just like them, they will wait, hoping that the much-anticipated Year of the Rat in 2008 will bring them some much needed good fortune and warmth.
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Xue Weidong's mother who has a disabled hand, was at a loss for how she would rebuild with her family their house hit by the second blizzard of the year. (p17236)
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Reconstruction of a simple three-room house costs at least 30,000 Yuan (4,600 Swiss francs) and Xue’s family has very little money and his older brother has left home to work in the city. It was up to Xue, his mother and his father to build a simple lean-to shack against the nearby hillside in order to avoid the cold. (p17235)
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