CERF allocates $8 million following the earthquake in China
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A young mother holds her child in a camp for people whose homes were destroyed [Photo: UNHCR]
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16 May 2008: On 12 May a major earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale struck the Sichuan Province of China. Over 15 million houses were damaged including 3 million which collapsed and the Government of China states that more than 5.2 million people have been left homeless.
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is utilizing a CERF grant to provide emergency shelter materials to 40,000 earthquake-affected people in southwest China. Working with the Ministry of Commerce, UNDP is purchasing shelters and boosting the Government’s capacity to provide emergency aid in affected areas.
Through CERF funds, the World Food Programme (WFP) is supplying ready-to-eat food and emergency rations to displaced people in Mianyang City and neighbouring counties. Partnering with the Red Cross Society of China, WFP is working to meet the nutritional needs of 100,000 people.
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is distributing emergency reproductive health kits in earthquake-affected areas. CERF funding is financing UNFPA’s purchase and distribution of health kits to 1.4 million women.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is providing shelter to 55,000 people in need after the earthquake using CERF funds. It is delivering family tents to the Chinese government to reduce exposure to cold and heavy rains to affected people.
A CERF-funded project by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is providing safe drinking water as most of the drinking water systems were destroyed by the quake. UNICEF is providing potable water for 3 million people. Five hundred and fifty toilets are being supplied to reduce the risk of faecal-borne diseases while 200 community-based health clinics, kitchen supplies and temporary sanitation facilities are being disinfected.
The World Health Organization (WHO) supplementing the availability of essential medicines, health supplies, and surgical kits to increase the Government’s ability to provide emergency medical services to the injured. Through these supplements, WHO is re-establishing the capacity of prevention of communicable diseases in centres for disease control while also re-activating frontline health and medical facilities.
[Last Update: 23 May 2008]