Date: Wed, 2 Aug 95 20:30:15 EDT
From: Disaster Information Administrator
Subject: China: Floods IFRC 28-Jul-95
International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies
CHINA: FLOODS
Appeal no. 06/95 *
Situation Report no. 1
Period covered: July 1995
_______________________________
The record floods in China are not receding and may yet grow
worse. The Chinese Red Cross Society is already providing relief
to victims in seven provinces through its provincial branches
and is working with a Federation co-ordination team on
channelling further assistance, financed by the international
appeal launched on 19 July. So far, however, the appeal has
received only a limited response.
_______________________________
The context
Exceptionally heavy rainfall from June onwards has caused record
floods in central and east China. They have swept across 22 out
of the country's 30 provinces, affecting 100 million people, the
majority in the provinces of Jiangxi, Hunan, Anhui, Hubei,
Guizhou, Jiangsu and Shandong along the Yangtse River.
Government figures put the number of deaths at 1,179, and
injuries at 26,115, while 5.5 million people have been marooned
by the floodwaters which broke through dams, dykes and
embankments, destroying houses and sweeping away crops, roads
and other infrastructure.
Fears are growing that the disaster could get worse. Since
floods normally peak in mid-August, at the height of the monsoon
season, water levels could rise still further. In addition, if
agricultural land remains flooded beyond the end of August, the
next planting season will be threatened and millions of people
will face extreme hardship.
Latest events
The floods are the worst recorded in China since 1954. In
Jiangxi province 38 counties, or over one third of the province,
are under water. In the province of Jiangsu, according to RCSC
reports, 80% of the land is flooded. This region is particularly
flood prone since water from an area of over 2 million sq.km
drains into the Yangtze and Huai rivers. As a result, some 18
floods have occurred in the last 45 years. This year, up to 200
mm of rain fell in a single day. Along the middle and lower
Yangtze river 18 sections of dykes, in all some 54.7 km in
length, have collapsed and seven protective embankments been
breached.
Hubei province has suffered similar destruction. Here again,
these are the worst floods since 1954. In early July the town of
Xiaochi was under 2.55 metres of water. In this province alone
the government
mobilised 1.8 million people to work on reinforcing and
repairing the dams. The maximum recorded rainfall in this
province in one hour was 119 mm, and in one day, 370 mm. In the
county of Dantu, a quarter of the entire population of 430,000
was mobilised to repair the dykes. The Red Cross branch assisted
with this work.
Volume flow in the Yangtze River reached over 75,500 cubic
metres per second, the second-highest flood peak since 1949.
The table below shows the situation in the seven provinces
targeted by the Federation appeal:
Jiangxi Hunan Anhui Hubei Guizhou Jiangsu Shandong
No of Deaths 242 540 48 56 98 14 Awaiting Update
Affected population (x 1,000)
2,094 3,435 227 1,320 692 160 awaiting update
Injured 5,915 14,582 318 1,318 826 260 awaiting update
Houses damaged (x 10,000)
61 171 6 45 2 10 awaiting update
Houses destroyed (x 10,000)
14 38 4 17 1 2 awaiting update
Red Cross/Red Crescent action
Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) l
All three assessment teams sent to the most-devastated provinces
by RCSC national headquarters (NHQ) have now reported back,
confirming the priorities of medicines, disinfectants and food
established for the first phase of the relief operation. Over
CHF 1.6 million in funds have been sent to the provinces. In
addition the NHQ has prepared plans of action for the purchase
of goods by the branches with funds from the Federation appeal,
in accordance with the priorities and phases outlined in the
appeal.
At the provincial level, many RC branches have raised
substantial amounts of money for the purchase of relief
materials. They are working hand in hand with the provincial
authorities with whom the Red Cross has very close ties. In
collaboration with the public health authorities some 1,800 Red
Cross medical teams are operating in the affected areas and have
treated over 250,000 people.
At the county-branch level, similar efforts to those at the
provincial level are being undertaken.
International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies
l
The four-member Federation co-ordination team, whose fourth
member arrived in Beijing one week ago, is assisting the RCSC
with the organisation, implementation and monitoring of the
relief operation. Three of the team members are currently in the
flooded areas with CRCS teams. They are expected to return to
Beijing this weekend. The Co-ordination team and the CRCS are
finalising the terms for disbursement of funds.
Purchases and delivery of relief goods, drawing on the CHF
900,000 already transferred to the RCSC, are now taking place. A
total of 10,400 kg of disinfectants (worth CHF 84,000) are on
their way to five provinces; 337 boxes of medicines (CHF
182,000) have been sent to six provinces; and all provinces have
been instructed to go ahead with the local purchase of rice or
flour, for a total sum of RMB 800,000 (CHF 112,000).
Other Red Cross & Red Crescent Society Action l
The Hong Kong Red Cross (a Central Council Branch of the British
Red Cross), which sent members to join the RCSC assessment
teams, has launched a local appeal. The Taiwan Red Cross has
made bilateral donations for flood relief. The Red Cross
Societies of Australia and Canada have also launched appeals to
the public.
Outstanding needs
All the elements in the appeal have yet to be covered
satisfactorily, and cash is urgently required if the excellent
work the Chinese Red Cross has started in the affected provinces
is to be maintained.
A logistics delegate is needed to work with both the CRCS and
the co-ordination team for a four-month period, starting
immediately (For further details, see the list of open
positions, issued 20 July).
External relations - Government/UN/NGOs/Media
The Federation's co-ordination team has established relations
with a number of Embassies and Representative Offices in Beijing
in order to keep them appraised of the situation.
The RCSC is stepping up its efforts to increase media coverage
of the flood situation and has already succeeded in having
stories appear in the press, including in The People's Daily,
China's biggest newspaper. It has made videos of the floods and
its relief work and has dispatched copies to a number of
National Societies. (The video is available on request from the
Federation Secretariat.) It hopes to repeat this operation,
using material from the Central Chinese Television Station.
Contributions
See Annex 1 for details.
Conclusion
Despite their immensity, the floods in China have received only
short-lived and limited coverage in the international media.
This lack of coverage probably explains, at least partly, the
very limited response so far to the Federation's appeal despite
its modest target assistance to just 2% of the estimated 100
million people affected.
To the best of our knowledge, no foreign humanitarian agencies
are providing flood relief assistance on any substantial scale.
And since the Chinese government has not asked for international
aid, assistance from inter-governmental agencies is precluded.
The Red Cross is thus effectively the only channel for providing
aid to some of the millions of people left destitute by this
huge disaster. National Societies are urged to come forward with
generous support and ensure that the Federation does not fail
those for whom it is a vital lifeline.
XuSheng Yang Jerry Talbot
Programme Officer Director
Asia-Pacific Department Asia-Pacific Department
1
28th July 1995
* The original Appeal was incorrectly numbered. The correct
number is 06/95
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