Geneva, February 28, 2003 - Amity
Foundation, a member of the global alliance Action by Churches Together
(ACT) International, is assessing the needs of the people affected by the
earthquake that struck China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region early on February
24. The Xinjiang region is located in a remote part of northwest China.
Ping Ping Shao of Amity Foundation reports
that the agency has ordered 4,000 cotton-pad quilts to be delivered to
the area, where the earthquake claimed 262 lives. Official figures put
those injured at 2050.
Shao writes that 8,800 houses were either flattened or severely damaged in the three worst affected townships of Qiongkuqiake, Alager and Silibuya in Bachu County - the county most affected by the earthquake. "Water, power supply lines and communication services were almost all destroyed," in both Bachu and Jiashi Counties.
The search and rescue operations are now complete. Shao says people "buried in flattened houses have all been helped out. The seriously wounded were sent to nearby cities for medical treatment". Fire engines are being used to carry water to areas that had their water supplies cut off and more than 11,000 tents, many quilts, clothing, food rice and medicine have been delivered to the quake-hit areas. Shao writes that more quilts, clothing, food rice and other life necessities are on their way. "Relief work is well in progress."
For further information please contact:
ACT Communications Officers Callie Long
(mobile/cell phone +41 79 358 3171)
Or ACT Press Officer Diana Mavunduse (mobile/cell phone + 41 79 681 1868).
ACT is a world-wide network of churches and related agencies meeting human need through coordinated emergency response.
The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
ACT Web Site address: http://www.act-intl.org