080514 - China Earthquake

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Nasserie Carew, 202-552-6561 (Office), 202-341-3814 (Cell), [email protected] Tawana Jacobs, 202-552-6534 (Office), 301-326-8687 (Cell), [email protected]

INTERACTION MEMBERS RESPOND TO THE EARTHQUAKE IN CHINA Washington, DC (May14)—In some areas 80 percent of all buildings have collapsed and officials estimate that 3.5 million homes have been destroyed in the largest earthquake to affect China in over thirty years. The official death toll has been estimated at almost 15,000 and rising, with tens of thousands still missing. The Government of China has responded quickly and is leading the relief effort, having mobilized 50,000 soldiers to assist with rescue efforts. Disruptions to telecommunications and destruction of roads and infrastructure have hindered response. The United Nations has offered its support to the Government of China, and has received no official response to date. Bilateral assistance from the U.S., UK, Russia, Korea, Japan, Thailand and India has been offered. The government of China has welcomed assistance from the EU, with an immediate focus on search and rescue capabilities. It is expected that the government of China will accept international assistance responding to needs identified in its assessments. A number of InterAction members have been working in Sichuan and nearby provinces in long-term development activities, and have mobilized to assist survivors. Other InterAction members are responding to local needs through partners on the ground who will be distributing essential relief supplies such as food, clean water, medicines, shelter materials and blankets furnished by or purchased with funds from the InterAction members. A regularly updated list of agencies responding is available at: www.interaction.org/china ###

InterAction has also developed guidelines on the most appropriate ways to help those affected by overseas disasters: http://www.interaction.org/disaster/guide_giving.html. InterAction is the largest alliance US-based private relief, international development and refugee assistance organizations. InterAction members have agreed to abide by a set of standards to ensure accountability to donors, professional competence and quality of service.

ORGANIZATIONS RESPONDING TO THE EARTHQUAKE IN CHINA

ActionAid International Strategic Crisis Fund 1420 K Street NW Suite 900 Washington, DC 20005 202-370-9912 www.actionaidusa.org ADRA International Emergency Response Fund 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 1-800-424-ADRA (2372) www.adra.org AmeriCares China Fund 88 Hamilton Avenue Stamford, CT 06902 800-486-4357 www.americares.org Church World Service 28606 Phillips Street, P.O. Box 968 Elkhart, IN 46515 800-297-1516 www.churchworldservice.org Episcopal Relief and Development Emergency Relief Fund P.O. Box 7058 Merrifield, VA 22116-7058 800-334-7627 ext. 5129 www.er-d.org Food for the Hungry 1224 East Washington Street Phoenix, AZ 85034 1-800-248-6437 www.fh.org Giving Children Hope 8332 Commonwealth Ave Buena Park, CA 90621 714-523-4454 http://www.gchope.org/ Habitat for Humanity International China Earthquake 121 Habitat Street Americus, GA 31709-3498 1-800-Habitat

www.habitat.org Heart to Heart International Crisis Relief Fund 401 S. Clairborne Suite 302 Olathe, KS 66062 866-341-GIVE www.heartoheart.org International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) Post Office Box 630225 Baltimore, MD 21263-0225 1-877-803-IOCC (4622) www.iocc.org Lutheran World Relief China Earthquake P.O. Box 17061 Baltimore, MD 21298-9832 800-597-5972 www.lwr.org

Mercy Corps China Earthquake Fund Dept NR PO Box 2669 Portland OR 97208 1-800-852-2100 www.mercycorps.org Oxfam America 226 Causeway Street th 5 Floor Boston, MA 02114 800-776-9326 www.oxfamamerica.org Project HOPE 255 Carter Hall Lane Millwood, VA 22646 1-800-544-4673 www.projecthope.org Relief International 1575 Westwood Blvd Suite 200 Los Angeles, CA 90024 310-478-1200 www.ri.org

Save the Children USA 54 Wilton Road Westport, CT 06880 800-728-3843 www.savethechildren.org United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) International Disaster Response China Earthquake #982450 PO Box 9068 New York, NY 10087 800-554-8583 www.umcor.org

World Emergency Relief China Earthquake P.O. Box 131570 Carlsbad, CA 92013 888-484-4543 www.worldemergencyrelief.org

World Vision China Earthquake Disaster Response Fund P.O. Box 9716 Federal Way, WA 98063-9716 888.56.CHILD (24453)

DETAILS OF ASSISTANCE BEING PROVIDED ActionAid International (May 13, 2008) ActionAid is responding to the earthquake that struck China on May 12 and is working closely with partners on the ground in the region. ActionAid field staff in China reached some of the hardest-hit villages to assess the damage. Based on these assessments, ActionAid will work with local partners list the goods that are required for local relief work and start to distribute the goods for immediate disaster relief. At this moment, no money is allocated for housing and building construction. ActionAid is committed to continuing our work in the region through the long period of recovery that lies ahead. ActionAid is accepting gifts in kind to assist with transportation in the form of travel vouchers, airfare or airmiles. ADRA International (May 13, 2008) In response to the recent earthquake in the Sichuan province in southwest China, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is evaluation the immediate needs of survivors, which is expected to include food, water, shelter, and clothing. ADRA is currently accepting financial contributions to help the communities affected by this disaster. Donations can be made securely at www.adra.org or by calling 1-800-424-ADRA (2372) AmeriCares (May 13, 2008) AmeriCares emergency response team has been mobilized in the aftermath of the massive earthquake in China. From Beijing, we are coordinating our relief efforts with local Chinese partner organizations. Additional AmeriCares disaster relief experts will be arriving shortly in China to manage the delivery of critical medicines and medical supplies to health care providers in the affected areas in the Sichuan Province. AmeriCares has established a China Fund and donations can be made at www.americares.org or 800-486-HELP. Church World Service (May 13, 2008) CWS issued a $200,000 appeal to support its local partner, Amity Foundation, which is already at work in the earthquake zone. CWS and Amity are providing food, drinking water and emergency shelter to those affected. Long-term recovery plans include re-building 600 houses, 10 schools, five hospitals and several potable water supplies. Episcopal Relief and Development (May 13, 2008) Episcopal Relief and Development’s partner in China, the Amity Foundation, an independent Chinese Christian voluntary organization, is responding to the quake. Amity has deployed staff to the affected region and is coordinating their response with local partners. With Episcopal Relief and Development’s support, Amity is distributing rice, bedding and sheltering material to alleviate the suffering of 8,000 families in the provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Sha’anxi. Food for the Hungry (May 13, 2008) Food for the Hungry is a Christian international relief and development organization providing emergency relief and sustainable development in over 26 countries. Food for the Hungry has staff in Chengdu, China, only 57 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake. Our local and international staff, along with partners such as the city of Phoenix, which teamed with Food for the Hungry during the tsunami relief, are assessing the best ways to provide immediate relief to the victims of the China earthquake. Giving Children Hope (May 13, 2008)

Giving Children Hope is collecting donations for the earthquake victims and is planning on sending materials to the most devastated regions of China. We are providing a group on the ground with surgical kits and packs, and medical supplies. Monetary donations are being collected to procure disaster materials. Other disaster materials are being collected at Giving Children Hope’s distribution center at 8332 Commonwealth Ave. Buena Park, CA. Giving Children Hope is an Orange County, California faithbased nonprofit organization engaged in domestic and international poverty alleviation. Habitat for Humanity International (May 13, 2008) Habitat for Humanity has an existing presence in the region and is well placed to begin reconstruction efforts following the initial relief stage. A local team is headed to the area now to carry out an assessment of the damage and long-term needs. Once the situation is safe and build permits are available, Habitat for Humanity will begin rebuilding homes in partnership with local authorities and other organizations. Heart to Heart International (May 13, 2008) Heart to Heart has an office and clinic in Chengdu, where the organization has worked for the past 10 years. Its medical director and staff are assisting in local relief efforts throughout the province. Heart to Heart is working closely with Sichuan health officials to assess needs for future shipments of medical aid. The organization is sending additional staff to the region in support of its local team, in Chengdu and a team of U.S.-based volunteers will be arriving shortly. International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) (May 14, 2008) IOCC will provide cash support to ecumenical organizations who are on the ground and evaluating the damage throughout the affected areas. IOCC’s cash grant will help provide emergency relief supplies for the survivors. Lutheran World Relief (May 13, 2008) Lutheran World Relief plans to support the response of our partners in Action by Churches Together, likely to address immediate needs such as shelter materials and relief supplies such as rice, clean water, quilts, clothes, and medicines. Mercy Corps (May 13, 2008) Mercy Corps is supporting the response activities of its strategic partner the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) following a devastating 7.9-magnitude earthquake in China. The news agency Xinhua reports that nearly 8,600 people were killed in the central Chinese province of Sichuan, and many more are trapped under collapsed buildings and feared dead. Both CFPA and Mercy Corps now have staff on the ground in Chengdu, a city about 100 km from the earthquake's epicenter in the eastern part of Sichuan. CFPA expects to provide food, water, temporary shelter and possibly medical supplies to people in the affected areas. Mercy Corps will assist with financial, material and human resources. Oxfam America (May 13, 2008) Oxfam has committed $1.55 million to an initial response focused in Sichuan and Gansu provinces. Oxfam was working in Gansu Province on development projects prior to the disaster. Oxfam colleagues based in Yunnan are now traveling to Wenchuan County in Sichuan, the epicenter of the 7.8-magnitude quake, for assessment and coordination of the relief work. Based on communication with local organizations in the affected areas, earthquake survivors need clean water, food, medicine, clothing, and blankets. Damage to infrastructure and other facilities is significant, so we are preparing for long-term rehabilitation needs. Donations can be made securely online at: https://donate.oxfamamerica.org/02/china_e Project HOPE

(May 13, 2008) Project HOPE has been in China since 1983. Currently, we have offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan, and we conduct health and medical programs on a national basis. In response to the earthquake, we are working with the MOH to identify urgent health needs; with pharmaceutical and medical supply companies to obtain donated product to meet these needs; and are seeking private donations to facilitate the shipping and delivery of this aid. As the situation evolves, we will have staff on site to help determine longer-term health needs and how Project HOPE can help with this response. Relief International (May 13, 2008) Following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that has resulted in over 12,000 deaths in the Sichuan province of China, Relief International (RI) is currently monitoring aid efforts and prepared to provide additional emergency assistance when requested. RI-China is coordinating with local organizations and the Chinese government to assess the extent of damage and develop appropriate emergency response strategies. RI’s Rapid Emergency Deployment (RED) team is on standby at our Los Angeles headquarters until these evaluations have been completed. To help, please donate now to RI’s Emergency Response Fund (ERF). The ERF is RI’s revolving emergency fund, drawn upon only for emergencies throughout the world, such as the current crisis in China. Save the Children (May 13, 2008) In an effort to restore some routine and normalcy among the youngest survivors of Monday’s 7.5 earthquake in southwestern China, Save the Children is providing tents, tables, chairs, and other school supplies to damaged schools in communities in Chongqing, China. Save the Children staff members already are on the ground assisting one school impacted by the earthquake and are conducting an assessment of other schools affected by the earthquake so it can expand its efforts. United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) (May 13) UMCOR is responding to the China earthquake by working through its partner, Amity Foundation, which had members working in the affected area just hours after the earthquake. The anticipate response includes food, medicine, water and shelter. World Emergency Relief (May 14, 2008) World Emergency Relief is preparing a rush shipment of emergency supplies for victims of China’s latest earthquake. WER plans to coordinate with WER’s local partners to assess needs and distribute supplies. WER is accepting monetary donations, as well as Gifts-In-Kind supplies like medicines, non-perishable foods, water-purification filters and tents. Please donate now and help WER save innocent earthquake victims by visiting http://wer-us.org/donation_center/08china_eq_wd.htm. World Vision (May 13, 2008) World Vision has a team on the ground and is providing blankets and tents to 10,000 people to start, while assessing what other survival items are most urgently needed. The agency is appealing for $1 million in donations to provide the most immediate assistance to children and families affected, but this need could rise based on what is required in the first 30 days of World Vision's response.