International agency Oxfam said on Saturday (17 April 2010) that its first team of aid experts had arrived in the town of Jiegu, in Yushu County of Qinghai, the region most seriously hit by the China Earthquake.
The team is now working in a temporary camp set up on a racecourse in Jiegu and distributing blankets for 2,000 survivors. About 20,000 people are living in this camp.
“The temperature here during the daytime is around 10 degrees Celsius; at night, it drops to below zero. The freezing weather is a huge challenge for the people made homeless by the earthquake, including people living in the camp in Jiegu. Oxfam is working with the local government to address people’s urgent needs; the government is providing food and tents,” said Aman Yee, Deputy Programme Manager of the Rural Development and Disaster Management Team of Oxfam Hong Kong.
“Qinghai is one of China’s poorest provinces. Poverty is the key reason why people are vulnerable to disasters. Oxfam is liaising with local government units to plan the next step; we target to assist the most impoverished people in this crisis,” Aman Yee added.
Oxfam will fly blankets from Yunnan to Qinghai. Sichuan Airlines is providing free transportation. Oxfam’s first priority for shipment is 1,000 blankets; next will be 600 tents.
Another Oxfam team is on its way to Shiqu County, Sichuan Province, which was also hit by the earthquake; the team will distribute 1,000 blankets and 1,000 rolls of durable waterproof fabric as temporary shelter.
Oxfam has assisted in previous emergencies in Qinghai, such as the massive snowstorms in 1997 and 2008.
Oxfam has an initial plans to spend HK$2 million (£170,000) on relief and rehabilitation projects.