Sichuan Yaan Quake: Second Phase of Relief Work and Post-disaster Recovery Plan | 2013.06.25

Posted on by 施達基金會

visitingCEDAR’s China programme staff talks with quake survivors about their hardships and needs.

Apart from causing severe damage to infrastructures, the Sichuan Yaan Quake which took place on 20 April had resulted in serious psychological trauma among quake affected communities. In May, CEDAR’s China programme staff visited Shuangshi Town in Lushan County, Sichuan and discovered that many quake survivors have symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) such as intense fear, sleeplessness, irascibility, agitation, etc.

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The powerful 7 magnitude earthquake not only destroyed the new three-storey house of Li Qiong and her husband, it also caused the death of her nearly one-month old baby boy. After this tragedy, Li Qiong seldom talk with neighbours. She has no facial expression while looking at villagers playing with their children or grandchildren. The presence of CEDAR’s staff provides a chance for her to pour out her sadness.

Shuangshi Town is located at mountainous area which lags behind in economic growth. Young villagers usually go to other places for work, leaving the elderly, women and children there. With limited medical service in remote mountainous villages, many elderly who live alone always worry about their health; because of low education level and the lack of social supporting network, local female mostly feel helpless to take care of the elderly and young children on their own. In addition to the psychological trauma caused by the quake, there is an urgent need of providing timely care and counseling among affected villagers.

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Uncle Yang, 67-year old, lives in a tent with two grandchildren. It took him 18 years to refurbish and built his house. Unfortunately, the second floor has been totally collapsed after the quake. While talking about future, uncle Yang felt hopeless.

In order to save resources and address environmental concern, local government has decided not to build temporary prefabricated houses for quake survivors. This implies homeless quake victims may need to live in temporary tents for more than a year till their new houses are constructed or repaired. It is easy to imagine the kind of physical and psychological threats that quake victims will face when living long time in the open area.

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A tent made by quake survivors

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Tents are set up in the field and muddy land. In daytime, villagers go out for work. At night, it is not easy for them to sleep well with mosquitoes, insects, raindrops, sound of snoring, crying children and the threat of aftershock.

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Villagers prepare the meals together in their temporary kitchen

CEDAR received a grant from HKSAR Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee for the second phase of relief distribution, working with local churches & Christian groups in Sichuan to deliver bottles of oil, plastic sheets, metal food tanks and sanitary items for women, targeting 2 administrative villages with 426 household in Tianquan County and 4 administrative villages with 2,880 households in Lushan County.

For the post-disaster rehabilitation, CEDAR will provide case referral and counseling service, organise community self-help groups, conduct community education activities, provide psychological and social support to children and youth, elderly and women in disaster areas to reduce the phenomenon of PTSD.

Please continue to remember the hardships and needs of quake victims, support our service among the quake affected communities done in partnership with Sichuan churches and Christian groups and to walk with the victims and rebuild their living together.

Relief Donation

  • Cheque payable to ‘CEDAR FUND’
  • Deposit to HSBC A/C No. 600-385678-001, enclosing with the Pay-in slip
  • Visa/ Master Card (Download donation form)
  • Online donation

(Please mark “Sichuan Yaan Quake Relief”)

[1] CEDAR is an approved charitable institutions and trusts of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please click Inland Revenue Department website to check for details.
[2] Donations over $100 are tax deductible in Hong Kong with our receipts.
[3] Please DO NOT fax any donation information.

Contact Method

Tel>23819627
Fax>23922777
Email>sharing@cedarfund.org
Add>G.P.O. Box 3212Hong Kong

CEDAR’s Relief and Rehabilitation Work in Past: http://eng.cedarfund.org/relief/
CEDAR Approach on Relief and Rehabilitation: http://eng.cedarfund.org/relief-approach/

Please Support Sichuan Yaan Quake Relief

Posted on by 施達基金會

[ePrayer – Pray for Sichuan quake relief work]

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CEDAR China Project Officers have successfully completed a post-disaster need assessment and have developed a relief & rehabilitation plan of action. Meanwhile, we have submitted a relief proposal to HKSAR Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee to consider. During the need assessment process, our staff was blocked by landslides on the road several times. Till now, the basic living needs of quake victims have been satisfied by the relief materials from the Ministry of Civil Affairs of PRC. However, because of the collapsed houses and the small leaking tents due to rain, the victims are now struggling with the shelter and food storage problems, and diseases such as joint pains and skin infections. In the quake affected areas, there are still victims living in crude tents besides collapsed houses, to eat & sleep in the open. In addition with the frequent aftershocks and rainy season, victims in the remote mountainous areas are most vulnerable.

CEDAR will continue working with local churches & Christian groups in Sichuan to deliver bottles of oil, plastic sheets, metal food tanks and sanitary items for women, targeting 2 administrative villages with 426 household in Tianquan County and four administrative villages with 2,880 households in Lushan County. Total budget is 3.1 million HKD. [Sichuan Yaan Quake Relief]

Pray for Sichuan quake relief work:

  • Pray that we will get a grant approval from HKSAR Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee to implement the next phase of relief work shortly;
  • Pray that local churches and Christian groups and CEDAR will be a channel of God’s grace and love to victims;
  • May God guides our way on the mid-term and long-term post-quake relief and rehabilitation works.

Relief Donation

  • Cheque payable to ‘CEDAR FUND’
  • Deposit to HSBC A/C No. 600-385678-001, enclosing with the Pay-in slip
  • Visa/ Master Card (Download donation form)
  • Online donation

(Please mark “Sichuan Yaan Quake Relief”)

[1] CEDAR is an approved charitable institutions and trusts of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please click Inland Revenue Department website to check for details.
[2] Donations over $100 are tax deductible in Hong Kong with our receipts.
[3] Please DO NOT fax any donation information.

Contact Method

Tel>23819627
Fax>23922777
Email>sharing@cedarfund.org
Add>G.P.O. Box 3212Hong Kong

CEDAR’s Relief and Rehabilitation Work in Past: http://eng.cedarfund.org/relief/
CEDAR Approach on Relief and Rehabilitation: http://eng.cedarfund.org/relief-approach/

 

The Latest Relief Response on Sichuan Yaan Quake

Posted on by 施達基金會

CEDAR China Project Officers have successfully completed a post-disaster need assessment and have developed a relief & rehabilitation plan of action. Meanwhile, we have submitted a relief proposal to HKSAR Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee to consider. During the need assessment process, our staff was blocked by landslides on the road several times. Till now, the basic living needs of quake victims have been satisfied by the relief materials from the Ministry of Civil Affairs of PRC. However, because of the collapsed houses and the small leaking tents due to rain, the victims are now struggling with the shelter and food storage problems, and diseases such as joint pains and skin infections.

This time the local authority has no plan to build temporary shelters (prefabricated houses) to affected families. The families will need to live in the tents for at least one year while they repair or rebuild their houses. The affected families urgently need to tackle problems of leaking tents, shortages of food supplies and women sanitation items. In the quake affected areas, some victims are still living in crude tents besides collapsed houses and taking meals and sleep in the open. In addition to frequent aftershocks, the current rainly season has made villagers from these remote mountainous areas more vulnerable.

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Talk with female villagers in Yuxi Village in Baosheng, Lushan County A victim standing on the debris of his collapsed house in Yuxi Village in Baosheng
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Communicate with local social workers in Shuanghe Village in Shuangshi Township, Lushan County Damaged houses in Shuanghe Village
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Have meeting with the officials of Gonghe Village in Tianquan County Damaged houses in Gonghe Village, Tianquan County

Emergency Relief Plan

CEDAR will continue working with local churches & Christian groups in Sichuan to deliver bottles of oil, plastic sheets, metal food tanks and sanitary items for women, targeting 2 administrative villages with 426 household in Tianquan County and four administrative villages with 2,880 households in Lushan County. Total budget is 3.1 million HKD.

Emergency relief is just the first response in an quake. The mid-term and long-term post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation works are very important. According to staff ’s observation, the NGOs are mainly aware of the need of affected children, but less attention given to the aged and disabled people. We will try to explore the needs of the aged and disabled victims. Please continue to support and pray for our relief & rehabilitation work in Sichuan Yaan Quake.

Relief Donation

  • Cheque payable to ‘CEDAR FUND’
  • Deposit to HSBC A/C No. 600-385678-001, enclosing with the Pay-in slip
  • Visa/ Master Card (Download donation form)
  • Online donation

(Please mark “Sichuan Yaan Quake Relief”)

[1] CEDAR is an approved charitable institutions and trusts of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please click Inland Revenue Department website to check for details.
[2] Donations over $100 are tax deductible in Hong Kong with our receipts.
[3] Please DO NOT fax any donation information.

Contact Method

Tel>23819627
Fax>23922777
Email>sharing@cedarfund.org
Add>G.P.O. Box 3212Hong Kong

CEDAR’s Relief and Rehabilitation Work in Past: http://eng.cedarfund.org/relief/
CEDAR Approach on Relief and Rehabilitation: http://eng.cedarfund.org/relief-approach/

Sichuan Yaan Earthquake Relief: CEDAR is working with the local churches in relief operation

Posted on by 施達基金會

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On 28 April, CEDAR, together with Guanghan Church and Yaan Church in Sichuan, delivered the first lot of rice in the quake affected area of Tianquan County. Pastor Yu of Guanghan Church shared with us the relief updates and preliminary need assessment:

On the way to the hardest hit area, I found houses damaged and ruined though not many totally collapsed. Victims temporarily lived in the shelter tents. In the gorgeous points there were helmeted “gatekeepers” kept watching out; bringing out alerts immediately once landslides were noted.

After two-hour’s journey along a hilly road, we finally got to Gong He Village, Lao Chang Township in Tian Quan County. The roads split from a place named Double River Heads to Lu Shan and Bao Xin, the other to Tian Quan. All the trucks carrying the relief materials moved towards Lu Shan, but none got to the direction of Tian Quan.

There are 970 people (265 households) living in the Village. Although the houses collapse was not very serious, most of them were in dilapidated state. All the villagers now are living in the shelter tents. A dozen of people got injured in the quake, one got seriously injured and two death. An old man carrying his grandson shared that it was relatively fortunate that the quake came at 8 o’clock in the morning. It led to less casualties as villagers had already got up.

As it is in a mountainous area, the victims I encountered are much poorer than those I met in 2008 at Wen Chuan earthquake. But the villagers appeared to be very tough notwithstanding their scarcity in resources. May His mercy and blessings reach to them, Amen!

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The team saw many shelter tents along the roadside.

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Ruined house in Gong He Village.

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We distributed the rice to the victims in Gong He village.

A team comprising three CEDAR staff members has arrived at the quake affected area launching for a post-quake need assessment. Besides any immediate relief actions, medium and long-term relief operation plans will be made out. We will keep on sharing on the operation updates, please watch out and join us in the relief operations with your prayers and donation.

Relief Donation

  • Cheque payable to ‘CEDAR FUND’
  • Deposit to HSBC A/C No. 600-385678-001, enclosing with the Pay-in slip
  • Visa/ Master Card (Download donation form)
  • Online donation

(Please mark “Sichuan Yaan Quake Relief”)

[1] CEDAR is an approved charitable institutions and trusts of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please click Inland Revenue Department website to check for details.
[2] Donations over $100 are tax deductible in Hong Kong with our receipts.
[3] Please DO NOT fax any donation information.

Contact Method

Tel>23819627
Fax>23922777
Email>sharing@cedarfund.org
Add>G.P.O. Box 3212Hong Kong

CEDAR’s Relief and Rehabilitation Work in Past: http://eng.cedarfund.org/relief/
CEDAR Approach on Relief and Rehabilitation: http://eng.cedarfund.org/relief-approach/