THE CHURCH WORLD SERVICE: EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM
CWS EMERGENCY APPEAL: CHINA FLOODS
Appeal Number: #6528
June 23, 2005


SITUATION: Torrential rains from late May until early June have 
triggered flooding which has turned vast areas of southern China into 
muddy lakes, razed mountain villages and destroyed more than 76,000 
housing units. Earlier, heavy rains in April had lashed 
provinces/municipalities across southern China including Hunan, Guizhou 
and Sichuan provinces.

As of June 6, more than 17 million people had been affected by floods, 
including many who lost their homes or were forced to flee the flooded 
areas.  At least 200 people have died.

According to China's Meteorological Bureau, strong rainfall is expected 
to pound the Yangtze River, China's longest river, in the coming ten 
days triggering more floods and landslides. The usual rainy season for 
the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River will follow 
immediately after.  Local authorities across the country have been 
ordered to mobilize resources to battle the floods and ensure major 
rivers and reservoirs are not breached.


RESPONSE: The Amity Foundation, a long-time CWS partner, is planning to 
assist the most vulnerable people affected by the flooding in Xinshao, 
Lianyuan, Anhua and Xinhua counties in Hunan Province and Qingzhen 
counties in Guizhou Province. These locations have been selected because 
they are the areas worst affected by the flooding.

Xinshao county in particular has been the most severely hit - where the 
worst mountain torrents in local history have left scores dead and 
thousands homeless.

Amity is assisting by providing medicines against water borne diseases, 
as well as food, rice, quilts, mosquito nets, reconstruction materials 
for 400 houses and six schools and assisting in the reconstruction of 
5,000 metres of irrigation canals. The completion date is expected to be 
June 30, 2006.

Specifically, Amity is providing assistance to 5,000 families -- some 
20,000 people: vulnerable men and women, children and the elderly. Among 
those assisted: those rendered homeless by the floods; evacuated 
families - families whose houses had collapsed or were so badly damaged 
they were uninhabitable were evacuated by the local authorities; and 
families that have lost at least two-thirds of their total crops.

The response includes providing medicine against water-borne diseases; 
providing 15 kilos of food rice to 10,000 individuals in about 2,500 
homeless, evacuated and severely affected families; to provide one quilt 
each to 2,000 families;  providing one mosquito net each to 2,000 
families; assisting in the rebuilding of 400 houses for 400 families; 
assistance to rebuild 6 school buildings;  reconstruction of 5,000 
meters of irrigation canals.

Budget includes: Crisis phase: medicines: $3,632; rice: $45,400; quilts: 
$24,213; mosquito net sheet: $9,685. Rehabilitation phase: houses 
$242,131; schools: $108,959; irrigation canals: $36,320.

Contributions to support CWS China flood efforts can be sent to your 
denomination or directly to:

Church World Service
China Floods #6528 (#ASCN-52)
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515

Please contact the CWS Emergency Response Program if you would like a 
more detailed appeal description.

For further information about disasters to which Church World Service
is responding please visit www.churchworldservice.org or call the CWS
Hotline, (800) 297-1516.

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