OCHA Situation Report No. 4
China: Earthquake
17 May 2008


Source:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

NOTE: This report is based on information received from the office of the 
United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, the media, as well as other 
partners.

Situation

1. On 12 May 2008 a major earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter Scale 
struck Wenchuan County, Aba Prefecture some 92 km northwest of Chengdu 
city, the capital of Sichuan Province. The earthquake took place at 14:48 
Beijing-time and tremors were felt as far as Wuhan, Shanghai and Beijing.

2. The Government of China estimated that 5.7 million people have been 
evacuated from their homes and the death toll would surpass 50,000. 
Currently, the official death toll has exceeded 21,500 with an additional 
159,000 persons injured and 14,000 people remaining under debris and 
rubble. 571,400 houses have collapsed and 279,900 houses destroyed in the 
provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Yunnan, and Hubei 
according to statistics released on 13 May.

3. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reported that land 
slides continue to damage or block roads, including national road No. 317 
(Maer - Lixian - Wenchuan); national road No. 213 (Shaba - Maoxian); road 
S302 (Beichuan - Maoxian); and road G213 (Dujiangya - Yingxiu - Wenchuan) 
as well as impounding rivers.

4. The Ministry of Environment Protection (MEP) is focusing on nuclear 
safety, pollution control, and continued monitoring of chemical 
industries, pollution treatment facilities, and hazardous substances and 
mining areas. MEP has strengthened capacities for environmental monitoring 
and emergency communications by mobilizing US $5 million for monitoring 
equipment.

Needs

5. For the first time since 1998, the Government of China is actively 
welcoming assistance from the international community. The Government has 
indicated that cash transfers and in-kind contributions are welcomed, as 
demand is far greater than supply. Large quantities of tents, blankets, 
clothes, food, bottled water, flood lights, candles, and tarpaulins are 
needed.

6. The Government of China reiterated that international personnel teams 
would not be broadly accepted at present, although teams offered 
bilaterally have been accepted on a case-by-case basis. The Government 
stated that there would be a role for the international community in 
rehabilitation and reconstruction.

National Response

7.  Chinese President Hu Jintao called for 'all-out' efforts to rescue the 
victims and visited the affected area on 16 May; Premier Wen Jiabao 
traveled to the affected area of Doujiangyan on 12 May and immediately set 
up a National Disaster Relief Headquarters. The highest level of emergency 
response was activated according to the National Plan on Emergency 
Response for Disaster Relief by the National Committee for Disaster 
Reduction. The army, armed police and paramilitary forces, rescue and 
medical teams, and relief supplies have been continuously dispatched. The 
Ministry of Civil Affairs has dispatched 127,580 tents; 222,000 blankets; 
and 170,000 clothing garments. Publication donations of more than US$ 125 
million (approximately 877 million yuan) have been raised since 14 May 
2008.

8. The Government of China stated that informational updates would be 
released on a daily basis at 14:00 Beijing time on central media websites 
including http://www.xinhuanet.com/, http://www.gov.cn/, and 
http://www.jianzai.gov.cn/.

9.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has informed the Office of the 
UN Resident Coordinator that MOFA has been placed as focal point for all 
international organizations and the international community, including the 
UN. All international supply flights are requested to be directed to the 
Chengdu Suhangliu airport.

International Response

10. The Office of the UN Resident Coordinator sent letters to the 
Ministries of Commerce, Civil Affairs, and Foreign Affairs expressing 
condolences, recognition of the Government's lead role and effective first 
response, and assurances that the United Nations stands ready to support. 
Press releases were sent out on 14 and 15 May to express solidarity with 
the Government and people and inform the public of the UN's response.

11. Follow-up letters were sent to the Ministries detailing technical 
support from OCHA, including 35 Rescue Teams and an UNDAC (United Nations 
Disaster Assessment and Coordination) team, which is again on stand-by. A 
letter was also sent to the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) to 
inform of assistance available from UNEP/OCHA on potential environmental 
risks.

12. The Office of the UN Resident Coordinator submitted an initial US$ 
50,000 Emergency Cash Grant request to purchase assistance items for 
victims. UNDP has applied for TRAC 3 funding of US $100,000 to strengthen 
the RC Office and UNDMT coordination capacities. In addition, UN agencies 
(ILO, UNHCR, UNESCO, UNEP, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDP, UN-HABITAT, WHO, WFP) and 
the IOM are providing in-kind contributions such as first-aid kits, 
ready-to-eat food, tents, blankets, school kits, reproductive health 
supplies, as well as emergency contributions and support.

13. On 16 May, the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator and the UNDMT 
convened another Heads of Agencies meeting to discuss the revised 
coordination process with the Government of China's MOFA as focal point, 
and to exchange information. It was also decided that the UN system will 
initiate regular coordination briefings with the international community 
next week, with the support of relevant Government departments and the 
Ministry of Civil Affairs.

14. The Office of the UN Resident Coordinator also announced a minimum 
contribution of US $5 million from the CERF (Central Emergency Response 
Fund) after consultations with the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) of 
OCHA. OCHA's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) has sent an 
advisor to support the preparation of the CERF grant.

15. Although the deployment of experts and professional personnel was not 
recommended by the Government of China, due to limited local coordination 
capacities and transportation bottlenecks, there have been media reports 
of rescue teams deployed. To date, China has accepted rescue teams from 
Japan, Singapore, Russia, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on a 
bilateral basis.

Coordination

16. The National Disaster Reduction Centre of China in the Department of 
Disaster & Social Relief, Ministry of Civil Affairs, handles national 
disaster response coordination. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is 
the focal point for international organizations and the UN.

17. UN support to the Government is coordinated by the UN Resident 
Coordinator (UNRC) and assisted by UN partners and the UN Disaster 
Management Team (UNDMT). The OCHA Regional Office in Asia and the Pacific 
(ROAP) in Bangkok is liaising closely with both the UNDMT and the China 
Earthquake Administration.


Contacts

Ms. Yin Yin Nwe, UNICEF Representative and Chair,
UNDMT-China
E-mail: ynwe@unicef.org , Tel: +86-10-65-323-131,
Mobile: +86-13-801-009-447

Mr. Terje Skavdal, Head of OCHA Regional Office for
Asia and the Pacific (ROAP)
E-mail: skavdal@un.org, Tel: + 66 2288 2425, Mobile:
+66 81 916 1276

Mr. Rajan Gengaje, Regional Disaster Response
Advisor, OCHA ROAP
E-mail: gengaje@un.org, Tel: + 66 2288 2572, Mobile:
+66 81 916 1271

This situation report, together with further
information on ongoing emergencies, is also available
on Relief Web http://www.reliefweb.int

A Situation Map of the earthquake is also available
on ReliefWeb
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/JOPA-7ENA95?OpenDocument


Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23

In case of emergency only:Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:

(New York)
Ms. Agnes Asekenye-Oonyu,
Chief
Asia and the Pacific Section
Tel: +1 212 963 1773
Mobile: +1 917 476 6164
E-mail: asekenye-oonyu@un.org

Ms. Ah-Young Kim
Desk Officer
Asia and the Pacific Section
Tel: +1 212 963 5131
Mobile: +1 917 349 5109 E-mail: kima@un.org

(Geneva)
Mr. Alfred Nabeta
Humanitarian Affairs Officer
Geographical Coordination and Monitoring Section
Tel: +41 22 917 2732
Mobile: +79 445 3382
E-mail: nabeta@un.org

Press contact:

(Geneva)
Ms. Elizabeth Byrs
Tel. +41 22 917 2653
E-mail: byrs@un.org

(New York)
Ms. Stephanie Bunker
Tel. +1 917 367 5126
E-mail: bunker@un.org

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