A powerful 7.1 earthquake struck China's Qinghai Province on April 14. The latest updates put the number dead at nearly 2,000, with over 10,000 injured.  The quake also destroyed 90% of the homes in the county seat, Jeigu. Give2Asia has created the 2010 Qinghai Earthquake Fund to help survivors of this disaster.

Most buildings have been destroyed and many of the affected communities are in rural and isolated areas, which will complicate logistics as supplies and aid are brought in. The hardest hit areas are 15 hours by road from the closest city, Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province. This distance is complicated by damage done to roads by the quake.

The Chinese government is taking the lead role in the relief stage of this disaster, and is not soliciting additional support from the public or the international community.

Long-term recovery is likely to last several years, due to the remoteness of the affected area and the widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure. Give2Asia is seeking support from donors to help the survivors with the longer-term recovery.

The Chinese government has approved 15 government-organized NGOs to raise funds for recovery and reconstruction.   Eight of these approved groups are current Give2Asia partners, including:

• China Charity Federation
• China Children & Teenagers Fund
• China Education Development Foundation
• China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation
• China Population Welfare Foundation
• China Soong Ching Ling Foundation
• China Women's Development Foundation
• China Youth Development Foundation

Give2Asia plans to work with these organizations to support long-term recovery.

Give2Asia staff in China and the U.S. are monitoring the evolving situation and are in communication with representatives of the Chinese government and NGOs.  We will continue to update this site as opportunities and needs change.

Our Work After the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake
Thanks to a network of corporations, foundations and individuals giving to support survivors, Give2Asia provided US$16.6 million in aid for the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake in China. Give2Asia was the second largest US donor to the Sichuan earthquake following the US Red Cross.

In addition to providing funding for immediate relief, Give2Asia made possible 60 longer-term recovery projects that helped people rebuild and return to their normal lives --  projects such as building safe homes and schools, and providing programs for psychosocial services, education and child learning, longer-term health care, restoring clean water, and other needs required for communities recover.

Photo courtesy of AP.