Mass flooding in China has affected some 30 million people across ten provinces of south China with more heavy rains predicted, as World Vision moves to respond to the monsoon onslaught.
"The affected people are in need of foods" said Louise Chau, a member of the World Vision assessment team, after visiting the hard-hit Zixi County of Fuzhou City in Jiangxi Province.
In Zixi County, a 90-year-old villager said that this appears to be the most severe flood she has ever witnessed. At peak times, the water level has risen as much as a metre within half an hour. The continuous rainfall beginning on 19 June has caused destruction of houses, bridges and farmlands in some areas, as well as power outages.
It is estimated that the flood survivors may face a food shortage in the next six to twelve months since many of their crops have been washed away by the floods.
The World Vision team arrived in Gaotian and Gaofu townships of Zixi County on 22 June to identify the immediate needs of affected people. Hygiene kits and child-friendly kits were distributed to the affected families and children to ease their immediate difficulties and to bring a sense of normalcy to the lives of the children.
Zixi County, with a total population of 120,000, is one of the worst hit areas in Jiangxi Province. At least 100,000 people in the twelve townships of Zixi County were affected by the floods.
As the team passed by Changkai County, they also saw some villages submerged in water as the Fuhe breached its river bank, and the government was helping the villagers evacuated to safe places.
According to official figures, the heavy flooding left 199 people dead, 123 missing and 30 million people affected in ten provinces and regions. Hardest hit provinces are Hunan, Fujian and Jiangxi.
China's rainy season which began in May follows the worst drought in a century for several southern regions.