Alert

09/2008 - China

Severe winter freezing and snow

Geneva, 29 January 2008

ACT International member Amity Foundation, based in Nanjing, reports that Southern China has been experiencing freezing temperatures and heavy snow since January 10, 2008. The provinces affected most seriously are Hunan, Hubei, Anhui and Jiangsu. The severe winter weather—the worst in 50 years—has affected more than 4.2 million hectares of farmland, led to the collapse of about 107,000 houses and damaged 399,000 other homes (source: www.xinhuanet.com). Zhenyao Wang, president of the government's Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Department, Ministry of Civil Affairs, told the media, "A total of 60 million people from 14 provinces are living with snow that [has] rarely [been] seen in the last 30 years." Eighteen deaths were reported by early evening January 27, while the direct economic loss has been reported as reaching 15.34 billion CNY.

While local government authorities have responded actively, Amity Foundation has assessed that the scale and severity of the disaster's impact will require additional assistance to the most vulnerable affected families, unable to cope without extra assistance. This includes the need for rice and quilts, and vast needs in terms of the reconstruction of collapsed and uninhabitable homes. A large number of livestock upon which many poor families are dependent for income have died due to the severe weather or because of their pens collapsing. Access to potable water is also a problem in some areas.

In Hunan Province, 167,000 people have been relocated, 31,000 houses have collapsed, and 1,268,000 people have problems with access to potable water. In Hubei Province, 10,710 people have been evacuated, more than 24,500 houses have collapsed, and more than 64,900 houses damaged. Some 78000 people are sick or injured, and 74,500 hectares of agricultural crops have been destroyed. In Anhui Province, 24,000 people have been evacuated, 12,800 houses have collapsed, 49,600 houses have suffered some form of damage, and 262,000 hectares of farmland have been affected. In Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 186,000 people are cut-off due to road conditions, 183,000 people have problems with access to potable water, 2601 houses have collapsed, 2538 houses have been damaged, and 363,030 hectares of farmland affected.

Amity Foundation has alerted the ACT Coordinating Office to its plans to assist the poorest and most vulnerable families in Huanggang in Hubei, Huaihua and Loudi in Hunan, Anqing in Anhui and Guilin in Guangxi whose homes have collapsed or been made uninhabitable, and who have lost at least two thirds of their total crops in Yichang. An ACT appeal is expected.

Any funding indication or pledge should be communicated to Jessie Kgoroeadira, ACT Finance Officer (jkg@act-intl.org).

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ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.