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Find out morePlan ready to respond to China floods
24-June-2010
Officials evacuate an elderly woman in a flooding area in Fuzhou, Jiangxi province, China. Picture: Reuters
Plan International staff are monitoring the impact of widespread flooding in southern China as the weather bureau predicts more heavy rain.
The 10-day deluge has left 199 people dead with 107 more missing and more than 2.3 million people have been evacuated across 10 provinces.
Aid agencies are on stand-by as the Chinese military and government agencies lead the relief effort.
"The downpours have triggered flash flooding, devastated crops and disrupted traffic and telecommunications," says Plan China's Country Director Mark Leighton.
More than 1.6 million hectares of farmland has been flooded. Initial assessments have revealed that tents and quilts are a priority for people evacuated from their homes.State television is broadcasting that rains are expected to continue for the next three days.
In April, Plan trucked two loads of emergency relief supplies to areas stricken by an earthquake in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yu Shu in China's north-western Qinghai province.
The 7.1 magnitude earthquake killed more than 2000 people, with another 12,000 injured.
Supplies included food, clothes, blankets, as well as special 'girls' kits to provide for the sanitary and hygiene needs of girls and young women.
During the ongoing floods, Plan is working with partners to evaluate whether providing indirect help in the form of emergency relief is feasible.
"Basically, the situation is under review in terms of the scale of need and whether we can do anything to help," says Mr Leighton.
Find out more about Plan's work in China.
ENDS
Editor's notes
For more information, contact:
David CookMedia Officer
Mob: 0448 816 900
Email: david.cook@plan.org.au