By Helena Laatio of the International Federation in Beijing
The early onset of China's flood season has brought death and destruction to the south and south-eastern parts of the country. Many here are still suffering the impact of last year's severe flooding. The Red Cross Society of China and the International Federation have provided emergency supplies to the worst-affected areas and are helping communities to prepare for and minimize the impact of natural disasters.
China's flood season leaves millions at risk
The death toll from China's flood season continues to rise. Flooding and landslides caused by torrential rains in the southern and south-eastern provinces have killed at least 155 people so far this year. The worst-hit provinces include Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Jiangxi and Fujian. At the same time two million people are suffering from extreme drought in the north of the country.
Tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed or damaged, while nearly 32 million people have been affected, and the flood season has only just begun.
As the flood waters continue to rise, 1.6 million hectares of farmland have been destroyed or damaged. Rice crops, which were due to be harvested in July, have been lost and the price of basic vegetables has doubled in some areas, after farmlands were submerged and vegetables rotted.
The Red Cross Society of China, supported by the International Federation, responded quickly. Tents, quilts, mosquito nets, water purification tablets, disinfectant and rice are among the essential items distributed in the affected areas.
Experts have been warning for some time that the flood season in China, which normally lasts from May to September, could be worse this year than in previous years. It is a deadly season, when heavy rains, typhoons, and thunder and hail storms hit densely populated areas in central and southern China.
At the same time, more than 65 per cent of the farmland in Jilin and Liaoning provinces in the north has been affected by severe drought. It is the worst drought to hit Liaoning province since 1951.
Last year, 3,155 people lost their lives in natural disasters in the country - the worst year since 1998. Many of the same areas now being flooded were hit by a series of powerful typhoons that left homes, crops and infrastructure damaged or destroyed.
Staff and volunteers from the Red Cross have been working to relocate the worst-affected families. Their work has been reinforced by the International Federation, which supported the reconstruction of houses for 240 families in a minority ethnic township in Hunan province and for 60 families in Jianxi province. Through their combined efforts, some 1,000 families were able to move into new homes in February 2007.
If this year's downpours continue as predicted, there is a real threat that the river Yangtze could burst it banks. It has happened before. Some experts say conditions are especially ripe for the river to overflow, due to heavy snowmelt, hot weather and deforestation. One of the most seriously affected and at-risk areas is Hubei province, which lies in the middle reaches of the river.
At 187,000 square kilometres, this vast province is slightly larger than Denmark. More than half of its 60 million inhabitants live in rural areas, where the impact of natural disasters hits hardest.
Most residents are farmers living in poverty whose homes and livelihoods can be swept away in seconds. Some have no choice but to move to the big cities in search of work, joining the swelling ranks of the urban poor. Away from their home villages, they have no access to health care and their children have no access to schools.
Together with the Red Cross Society of China, and supported by the Finnish Red Cross, the International Federation is therefore launching a three-year disaster management project in Hubei.
Its aim is to support local communities in their efforts to prepare for and minimize the impact of natural disasters.