In 1814, Napoleon lost and Paris fell; in 1914, World War I started; it’s now 2014 and humans still have yet to learn from history. There are people being plunged into an abyss of misery and our land is beset by war. From the news and messages circulating on online communication media, people are extremely concerned about the brutalities of ISIS, an extremist Islamic organisation in Iraq. Children and civilians are killed or forced to leave their home in great fear. The world has no idea how to bring this to an end.
On 3 August, 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit Ludian County in Zhaotong, resulting in over 380 death and 1,800 injured. It is the highest scale of earthquake hitting Yunnan in the past 18 years. Tens of hundreds of houses collapsed, included several schools.
CEDAR’s Yunnan office contacted Yunnan Christian Council (YNCC) and Zhaotong City Christian Council (ZTCCC) immediately after the quake to find out the updated situation. Staff from Zhaotong Church told us that the quake affected areas are still restricted from access. A heavy rain in the first night after the quake caused serious landslide. Relief materials such as shelters, quilts, dried food, drinking water and medicines are the most needed. In the coming week, CEDAR’s staff will head to the quake affected region to assess the situation and map out a concrete relief and rehabilitation response plan.
There are many ethnic minority groups, such as Huis (the Muslim) and Miao, living in Zhaotong, Yunnan. Most of them live by farming under desperate condition. In 2012, CEDAR worked with Yunnan Christian Council to deliver one-month food supply to 6,000 families in Yiliang County, Zhaotong, (a 5.7-magnitude quake hit this area on 7 September 2012).
Please earnestly pray for the situation in Zhaotong, Yunnan:
Pray that the trapped victims will be rescued very soon;
Pray that God will heal the injured and comfort those who lost their beloved one;
Pray for the safety of relief workers and for smooth operation of the first stage of rescue and relief work;
Pray for God’s guidance on the communication and cooperation between CEDAR, YNCC and ZTCCC. Also pray that those churches located near the affected areas will take part in the coming relief response.
Emergency and Relief Donation
Please make cheque payable to ‘CEDAR FUND’
Cheque payable to ‘CEDAR FUND’
Deposit to HSBC A/C No. 600-385678-001, enclosing with the Pay-in slip
[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 3212 Hong Kong
Over a month after the quake happened in Yiliang, Yunnan in early September, where 700 thousand people were affected, many quake victims are still staying under rough shelters and even some of them have yet to receive any relief assistance. CEDAR has received the grant of 2.4 million from the HKSAR’s Disaster Relief Fund to support the quake affected victims. On 25 October, CEDAR team and Yunnan Christian Council sent a relief team to Yiliang, Zhaotong region to deliver the one-month food aid to 6,000 quake affected households in 15 villages.
CEDAR staff Alice, who has been helping facilitate the quake relief work, said, ‘Lots of houses have collapsed after the quake and the villagers are still staying under rough shelters. The blankets they received from emergency relief are soaked with rainwater. The victims are now facing the challenge of cold weather.’
In the first week of the relief operation, staff and volunteers finished 40% of the food aid distribution. This is the first time volunteers from Yiliang Church take part in relief operation. However, after the briefing and practice on the first day, they have been familiarised with the operation. In the third day, our relief team was even able to deliver food packages to 300 more households within less than three hours work. Praise the Lord!
Local staff and volunteers are now delivering the rest of the relief materials to other quake affected villages. The relief operation will be finished in early November. We are glad to see that not only have the needs of the quake victims have been matched, but also the capability of the Yiliang Church in responding to disaster has also been built up.
‘The residents in Yiliang are poor’ Fountain, a programme officer from CEDAR who has taken part in the quake relief work, shared, ‘many elderly villagers were moved to tears as they hold the food aid in their hands.’ Most of the people there are lived by farming. However, in recent years, the livelihood of villagers has become more and more difficult by the climate change. ‘They are used to growing grape, tangerine and Sichuan pepper. However, the fruits in recent years have rotten before they have time to ripen.’ Landslides caused by the quake and the loosen soil caused by rainwater have worsened the condition of the damaged houses, making them more susceptible to collapse. The only school in the village has been closed till next April.
‘Last Sunday, we passed through the most affected region. Seeing with my own eyes the quake-shattered cement plant, the boulders and remnant of landslides left on the road and the scene after serious landslides, I can’t imagine how horrible it must have been when the quake hit.’ said Alice. ‘It has happened over a month since the Yiliang quake, but there are still some victims staying in tents far away from the road with very little assistance. If we were in their shoes, I am sure we would agree that they definitely need our continual care and support.’
Fountain said, ‘Most of the Miao people there belong to the Hua Miao group. Christianity has had deep impact on their culture and way of life 100 years ago. I really hope that through the participation of local churches, China’s government could have more concern on the special need of Miao minority in the after quake rehabilitation.’
Pray for the quake relief and rehabilitation in Yiliang, Yunnan:
Pray that the quake victims will have sufficient relief materials for facing the challenge of cold weather;
Pray that local government will confirm the plan of rehabilitation shortly and the resettlement of quake victims will be efficiently implemented and finished;
Pray that God will give strength to the staff and volunteers from the Yunnan churches to finished the rest of the food aid delivery;
Please remember the next phase of rehabilitation work. Pray that we can collect more donations to support the long-term post-disaster recovery and development in Yiliang, Yunnan.
Act now to support the quake-affected people through financial assistance:
By cheque: Please make cheque payable to ‘CEDAR FUND’ and mark ‘Yunnan Earthquake Relief’ on your cheque, and then have it sent to G.P.O. Box 3212 Hong Kong.
By ATM: Please make deposit directly into our bank account for emergency relief (HSBC 600-385678-003). Please mark ‘Yunnan Earthquake Relief’ on your pay-in-slip, and then have it sent to G.P.O. Box 3212Hong Kong.
Online Payment: You can also transfer your donations to our HSBC account for emergency relief through online banking services. For online banking transfers, please send the online transfer confirmation to sharing@cedarfund.org with the subject ‘Yunnan Earthquake Relief’.
On September 7, a pair of earthquakes measuring 5.7 and 5.6 on the Richter scale with multiple aftershocks hit Zhaotong, Zhenxiong, Yiliang area of China’s Yunnan province, causing at least 80 dead and 700 injured. The quakes leveled or damaged over 20,000 houses, with over 700,000 people affected. Landslides have been triggered in the affected areas. Communication disruptions, damages to major roads, water supply and power facilities have been reported.
CEDAR and the local church in Yunnan are making arrangements to travel to the affected areas and assess the situation. CEDAR will bring you the latest update from the ground with arrangement for emergency relief. Please stay tuned for our next update.
Please pray earnestly that:
God will protect the earthquake victims and relief workers in the midst of continual aftershocks
God will comfort those who have lost their homes and family or are still desperately searching for their loved ones.
God will mobilize pastors and organisations partnering with CEDAR to assess the situation of the affected areas, to plan and implement relief work.
About CEDAR
CEDAR Fund is an independent Christian relief and development organisation founded in Hong Kong in 1991. Our mission is to partner with Christians around the world to care for the poor and disadvantaged people, to facilitate the transformation of lives and communities, and to advocate and practice social justice. We seek to build a just and compassionate world in Christ.
CEDAR’s HSBC Account for Emergency Relief: 600-385678-003
