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ACT Alert
China
- 01/2005
Floods
cause loss of life and destruction in southern China
Geneva,
10 June 2005
Torrential rains
from 31 May to 6 June have triggered flooding which has turned vast
areas of southern China into muddy lakes, razed mountain villages and
destroyed more than 76,000 housing units and damaged 234,000 units according
to OCHA. From early April heavy rains had lashed provinces/municipalities
across southern China including among others Hunan, Guizhou and Sichuan.
As of 6 June 2005 over 17-million people had been affected by floods,
including many who lost their homes or were forced to flee the flooded
areas. The death toll has topped 200.
According to China’s Meteorological Bureau, strong rainfall is expected
to pound the Yangtze River, China’s longest river, in the coming ten
days triggering more floods and landslides. The usual rainy season for
the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will follow immediately
after. Local authorities across the country have been ordered to mobilise
resources to battle the floods and ensure major rivers and reservoirs
are not breached. However, flood prevention structures on the Yangtze
have already been damaged by floods earlier in the year.
ACT International member the Amity Foundation is planning to
assist the most vulnerable people affected by the flooding in
Xinshao, Lianyuan,
Anhua and Xinhua Counties in Hunan Province and Qingzhen Counties in
Guizhou Province. These locations have been selected as they are the
areas worst affected by the flooding with Xinshao county being the most
severely hit where the worst mountain torrents in local history have
left scores dead and thousands homeless.
Amity plans to provide medicines against diarrhoea, vomiting and colds;
food rice to 2,500 families (ca 10,000 persons); quilts (2,000 families);
mosquito nets (3,000 families); reconstruction materials for 500 houses
and six schools; and assist in the reconstruction of 5,000 metres of
irrigation canals for a total cost of around US$522,000.
An appeal is currently being processed. We would be grateful for indications
of any funding.
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