ACT News Update

China 02/04

Geneva, September 8, 2004—The annual rainy season has hit parts of China especially hard this year, with heavy rains falling since mid-June. Action by Churches Together (ACT) International, a global alliance of churches and related agencies, reported yesterday (September 7) that its member there, Amity Foundation, has been responding to the floods caused by the rains since early August*. Since Amity’s response began, recent heavy rains have swept over parts of China, exacerbating the situation.

Amity reports that from September 3 to 7, torrential rainstorms swept through the northeastern part of Sichuan Province and the northern part of Chongqing Municipality. The worst rainstorm in the past 200 years, Amity says, has triggered landslides and floods, claimed 100 lives, and 88 people are reported missing. Around Sichuan province, rainfall ranged from 50 mm to 297 mm in worst-hit Dazhou prefecture, where the electricity, water and gas systems were damaged and shut down on September 5. In Chongqing Municipality, 33 people were killed and more than 1.5 million affected.

According to Amity, following the latest rains, the most important needs for people in Nanchong city and Dazhou city, both in Sichuan province, are quilts and blankets. Amity plans to address these needs and is in contact with the ACT Coordinating Office about a revision of the current appeal to include this latest response. The coverage to date for the appeal, which was issued on August 9, is US$90,147, or 13.68 percent of the US$659,099 requested. Additional funds toward this appeal will enable Amity to assist people affected by earlier and recent floods.

*The Amity Foundation’s response has been under ACT Appeal ASCN41 – Assistance to Flood-affected

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