Massive earthquake strikes China

Peking Time 14:28pm on May 12, 2008, an earthquake at 7.8 scale hit China, the quake center is in Wenchuan County Sichuan Province, which is located on north latitude 31.0°, east longitude 103.4°. Except Sichuan, other 20 provinces around Sichuan, including Yunan, Gansu, Chongqing, Guizhou, etc, are also affected. Even in Nanjing, Amity’s headquarter, can also feel the quake. According to the source from CCTV News Channel, a total of 313 times of aftershock happened after the first one, and quakes have induced large damage in locals, up to now, altogether 7651 persons have been killed, including 50 from Chongqing, 20 from Gansu and thousands from Sichuan. Except this, quite of facilities, rooms, schools are collapsed or severely damaged in the quake.

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southwest China on May 12, leaving massive death and destruction.  The quake, centered in Wenchuan County of Sichuan Province, impacted nearly 20 heavily populated surrounding provinces.  The state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua reports the death toll is now nearly 12,000 and looks set to rise.

Hundreds of aftershocks have forced survivors to sleep out of doors with little or no shelter from driving rain.  

Xiaoling Zhu, Global Ministries Area Executive for East Asia and the Pacific and Susan Sanders, UCC One Great Hour of Sharing Administrator, have been in contact with Global Ministries partners in China, at the Amity Foundation and Sichuan T.V. & Radio University to convey our prayers and offer support for relief and recovery efforts. 

An initial grant from the One Great Hour of Sharing International Emergency fund is being wired to the Amity Foundation today to support Amity’s efforts to distribute relief including shelter materials, rice, water, quilts, clothes, and medicines to survivors.  Additional support will be shared as the needs for relief and recovery become clearer.  Likewise, Week of Compassion is readying a response to an anticipated appeal from CWS/ACT in support of Amity’s efforts.

20 provinces around Sichuan, including Yunan, Gansu, Chongqing, Guizhou, etc, have also been affected.  In Nanjing, where Global Ministries’ partner The Amity Foundation has its headquarters, residents felt the quake and its aftershocks. According to China’s CCTV News Channel, over 313 aftershocks have occurred since the initial quake.  In addition to the deaths, facilities, homes, and schools have collapsed or have been severely damaged in the quake. Local communication systems and roads have been destroyed, so communication with Wenchuan, the quake center area, has been difficult. Chengdu and Chongqing Airports are closed, and more than 2000 cell phone towers damaged.  The road to the mountains where Global Ministries has many projects with Tibetan people are blocked by landslides.

For now, Amity’s staff has been in Chengdu, 159 kilometers away from the quake center, and is developing a detailed activity plan with Amity’s local partners. As many homes have collapsed or been severely damaged, and many people have been injured in the quake, people are in urgent need of tents and materials for daily life, including rice, water, blankets, clothes, medicine, etc.  But with the roads damaged, Amity staff still cannot reach the hardest hit areas. Global Ministries will share more details when we learn of them.

Thank you for your compassion and support. Please remember those who lost loved ones and in suffering in your prayers.

UCC Response through One Great Hour of Sharing
Disciples Response through Week of Compassion

How to Help:

• Pray for the people of China, their leaders and emergency and humanitarian aid workers.
• UCC: To assist impacted Chinese families, you may, send gifts payable to your congregation marked for “OGHS International Emergency Fund/China Earthquake” with the request they be sent through your Conference office on to Wider Church Ministries.
  OR
  Send gifts, made out to Wider Church Ministries and marked in the memo portion “OGHS International Emergency Fund/China Earthquake” to Wider Church Ministries; 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115.
  OR
  Make a secure online donation to the OGHS International Emergency Fund – note China Earthquake in comments section.
• Disciples: Send gifts made out to Week of Compassion and mark in the memo line “China Earthquake” to Week of Compassion, PO Box 1986, Indianapolis, IN 46206
  OR
  Make a secure online donation to Week of Compassion