(11/02/2008) The United Evangelical Mission provides 5.000 euro to support the emergency aid efforts of its partner organisation Amity Foundation in China for the victims of the snow desaster in January.
Snow has been falling across central and southern regions since early January, destroying houses and crop land, downing power lines and blocking road and rail links.
Under the control of long-term snow storm, ice rain and frost, a total of 17 provinces and municipalities such as Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Shannxi, Jiangsu and Guangxi have been affected. Up to Jan 29th, the extreme weather resulted in 77,862,000 victims, Amity reported. More than 40 people are estimated to have died. 149,000 houses collapsed, and about 6,733,000ha of crops were damaged. Experts have warned that the damage to crops could lead to future food shortages.
The snowstorms which were the worst in the past decades, caused a direct economic loss of 32.67 billion CNY. Moreover, highways, roads and airports have been closed, leaving more than 800,000 people trapped in bus and train stations, airports and highways. Moreover, the snow has deteriorated the shortage of electricity and coal, and constrained electricity supply in 17 provinces, Amity writes in appeal for assistance.
Amity, who closely cooperates with government bodies and local partners, plans to alleviate the suffering of about 5,000 families rendered homeless and severely affected by the snowstorms in Yichang and Huanggang (Hubei Province), Huaihua and Loudi (Hunan Province), Anqing (Anhui Province) and Guilin (Guangxi Province) and help them to return to a normal life as soon as possible.
Amity has been engaged in relief work for the past 20 years and has established a nation-wide relief network through its local partners and churches. Amity handles, on average, two or three emergencies a year.
The Amity Foundation, an independent Chinese voluntary organisation, was created in 1985 on the initiative of Chinese Christians to promote education, social welfare, health, rural development, emergency relief and rehabilitation programmes.
