Dear XXX,
| In the Sichuan province of China, people affected by the earthquake six months ago are picking up the pieces of their lives, thanks to your help and that of the many Australians who contributed over $9.5 million to our appeal.
Focus on recovery and reconstruction
With the emergency relief period over, China has turned its attention to recovery efforts and the rebuilding of entire communities. Helping to restore the water and sanitation infrastructure will be part of the overall Red Cross recovery effort. In the initial months after the earthquake, rapid response Red Cross water and sanitation teams have already provided: - safe drinking water for more than 19,000 people
- mass sanitation facilities for more than 13,000 people
As winter sets in, the job to secure the health, economies and livelihoods of those affected is truly massive. Many of the families who received one of more than 100,000 tents distributed throughout the disaster zone by Red Cross have now moved to transitional shelter. Distribution of family kits, | [table=180] | Workers share a Red Cross tent in Hanwang town, Mianzhu City, Sichuan. Photo: Rahima Hayes
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including quilts and winter clothes, hygiene parcels and food for hundreds of thousands of people continues, with more to come for those families who will be spending the winter in transitional shelter or tents.
Red Cross plans to help rebuild: - more than 50,000 rural homes
- hundreds of schools
- health clinics in towns and villages
- community centres around the region
A key requirement is that building construction meets the standards to withstand the hazards present in this highly disaster-prone region.
While physical scars fade and families rebuild homes, the psychological scars – particularly for those who lost friends or family members - will remain for many years. Red Cross is running programs to train teachers in schools to help children still traumatised by the earthquake.
Will you donate again to help others?
Asia-Pacific is one of the most disaster-prone regions of the world, and since the earthquake in China and Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, Australian Red Cross has also responded to recent flooding in northern India which affected more than seven million people. We immediately sent two of our aid workers to Assam with a portable water module which can produce 5,000 litres of purified water an hour.
Helping vulnerable people throughout Asia Pacific is a key focus of Australian Red Cross, we support programs in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Timor Leste, Myanmar, China, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and more.
I urge you to continue your support so that Red Cross can be ready to help those affected by crisis or disaster at home and overseas. Please call 1800 811 700 or donate online to India Floods Appeal or Where It's Needed - International, and give as much as you can spare. |
Thank you again on behalf of all those you are helping.
Robert Tickner
CEO
Australian Red Cross
P.S. Please stay involved. To find out more about our projects overseas and here in Australia please visit www.redcross.org.au. | |
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