The Red Cross Society of China has dispatched a relief team to Hainan to deliver essential aid to people affected by Typhoon Neoguri, which has left three dead and 40 missing, according to state media.
To date, Red Cross relief workers have distributed 20 metric tonnes of rice, 1,400 items of clothing, and 200 pairs of shoes. Assessment teams are continuing to collect data on the needs of people affected and damages to communities in southern China.
According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, more than 1.3 million people in Hainan were affected, including more than 200,000 displaced by the storm. Neoguri caused severe damage to agriculture, fishing, transportation, and communication infrastructure in four prefectures of Hainan.
Provincial authorities estimate that 360,000 hectares of agricultural land was damaged, and 550 homes were destroyed. Total economical loss is estimated at 337 million Yuan (48.9 million Swiss francs).
Neoguri, which has been downgraded to a tropical storm, is the first typhoon to hit China this year and the earliest in nearly six decades – typically arriving in late June.
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Local residents search for their belongings in a collapsed wooden shed in Longlou Town of Wenchang, Hainan province, April 19, 2008. Typhoon Neoguri has weakened into a tropical storm after slamming into the southern Chinese island province of Hainan. (REUTERS/China Daily /courtesy www.alertnet.org)
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