UN-SG Ban Ki Moon all praise for China´s handling of quake recovery
Surya B. Prasai
May 28, 2008
China's prime minister, Wen Jiabao, recently stated that the earthquake death toll could surpass 60,000 and head towards 80,000 in the days ahead. In his visit to China after convincing the Burmese Government to allow international aid workers to help in the post-typhoon Nargis relief efforts, he met Premier Wen Jiabao who told him that the rising death toll could be hampered by the recent aftershocks. Fresh aftershocks have toppled 420,000 houses and injured hundreds in southwest China, throwing the citizens into impending fear in a country already hit by the worst quake in decades.
It is reported that the two leaders met in Sichuan Province which is near the quake's epi-centre. China´s official news agency, Xinhua, has reported that Ban praised the Chinese government for efficiently handling the quake relief efforts, and stated that the UN would do all within its limits to make sure that the relief, reconstruction and disaster recovery efforts all proceeded well. The UN has already sent eight million dollars to Beijing from its Central Emergency Response Fund.
In the latest, Xinhua reported that the death toll after the after shock was reported from two to six. Many of the residents are staying in public buildings while some are also seeking shelter in the open under tented camps. Altogether 20 people have been injured and a total of 70,000 houses have collapse as a result . Chinese radio reported that the city of Guangyuan, which lies north of the provincial capital Chengdu, had been particularly hard hit by the recent after shock which measured 6.4 in Qingchuan county according to the China National Seismic Network of Sichuan at 4:21 pm local time, although the US Geological Survey measured the strength at 6. The May 12 earthquake which struck China, measured 7.9 and left 86,000 people dead. It had come at around noon time when most people and school children had finished their lunch and were heading back to their buildings. According to the Beijing Olympic organizers, the earthquake´s effect is even felt on the Olympic torch, which will now make its way through Tibet for only one day instead of the originally planned three.
The UN Secretary General has praised the Chinese leadership for its quick response and making its emergency teams available at the disaster site in time. "The Chinese government, at the early stage of this natural disaster, has invested strenuous effort and demonstrated extraordinary leadership," Ban told Chinese and foreign media representative in Yingxiu. Although there were some human rights protestations earlier in the month due to the Tibetan dissents growing voice and activities in trying to stop the Olympic torch in various locations, the international community, in particular, Western countries, have developed a soft corner for Beijing after the earthquake, which has acquired more global media prominence after the powerful quake and its aftershock. In fact, the international community has praised China´s handling of the crises better than Burma did when Cyclone Nargis struck its coasts killing 130,000, the reason being Burma only allowed the international aid workers in after UN-SG Ban brokered a request to help the estimated 2.5 million people affected by the disaster.
In the two weeks that have gone by after the earthquake, despite intensive rescue efforts, there is little hope of finding many more survivors alive. China has started focusing on preventing health epidemics from occurring. It is learnt that following the earthquake jolts which went on continuously for nearly three minutes, thirty 30 new "barrier lakes" have formed, which have stored trapped water and can pose a danger to nearly 100,000 people who could be swept away by the flash floods.
China has also pointed out the possibility of radiation occurring among the 50 sources buried under the earthquake debris. It is stated that nearly a dozen of the radiation sources are under destroyed buildings. The earthquake has killed nearly 1,000 children, destroyed 15 million homes, and forced the government to open its offices to house temporary shelters. Most of the official work has come to a standstill with many government officials having to double up as rescue workers during the normal working hours and evenings. The government has already set up one million tents, but it has requested Chinese private sector manufacturers to produce at least a half million more to accommodate all. Many children have also started attending classes under the tents after a period of mourning. With the earthquake destroying some 15 million homes, the next task for the Chinese government will be resettling and rebuilding the destroyed housing and other infrastructure.
Although China is a globalized resource rich economy and surplus exporter, it has humbly accepted all aid, and commanded strong international sympathy, receiving nearly $ 3 billion besides an initial team of international rescue experts. Already a second wave of foreign relief workers has stared pouring in to prevent disease and assess the reconstruction and rehabilitation effort. It is known that the longer term choice for the Chinese government is between abandoning severely damaged townships or else rebuilding from scratch which could take many years. Many of the relatives of the deceased had recently stated that the shoddy structures that caved in and buried those seeking to escape, was a major cause of the high number of deaths. The Chinese Government plans to investigate thoroughly in future and prevent it from happening again.
It is reported that the two leaders met in Sichuan Province which is near the quake's epi-centre. China´s official news agency, Xinhua, has reported that Ban praised the Chinese government for efficiently handling the quake relief efforts, and stated that the UN would do all within its limits to make sure that the relief, reconstruction and disaster recovery efforts all proceeded well. The UN has already sent eight million dollars to Beijing from its Central Emergency Response Fund.
In the latest, Xinhua reported that the death toll after the after shock was reported from two to six. Many of the residents are staying in public buildings while some are also seeking shelter in the open under tented camps. Altogether 20 people have been injured and a total of 70,000 houses have collapse as a result . Chinese radio reported that the city of Guangyuan, which lies north of the provincial capital Chengdu, had been particularly hard hit by the recent after shock which measured 6.4 in Qingchuan county according to the China National Seismic Network of Sichuan at 4:21 pm local time, although the US Geological Survey measured the strength at 6. The May 12 earthquake which struck China, measured 7.9 and left 86,000 people dead. It had come at around noon time when most people and school children had finished their lunch and were heading back to their buildings. According to the Beijing Olympic organizers, the earthquake´s effect is even felt on the Olympic torch, which will now make its way through Tibet for only one day instead of the originally planned three.
The UN Secretary General has praised the Chinese leadership for its quick response and making its emergency teams available at the disaster site in time. "The Chinese government, at the early stage of this natural disaster, has invested strenuous effort and demonstrated extraordinary leadership," Ban told Chinese and foreign media representative in Yingxiu. Although there were some human rights protestations earlier in the month due to the Tibetan dissents growing voice and activities in trying to stop the Olympic torch in various locations, the international community, in particular, Western countries, have developed a soft corner for Beijing after the earthquake, which has acquired more global media prominence after the powerful quake and its aftershock. In fact, the international community has praised China´s handling of the crises better than Burma did when Cyclone Nargis struck its coasts killing 130,000, the reason being Burma only allowed the international aid workers in after UN-SG Ban brokered a request to help the estimated 2.5 million people affected by the disaster.
In the two weeks that have gone by after the earthquake, despite intensive rescue efforts, there is little hope of finding many more survivors alive. China has started focusing on preventing health epidemics from occurring. It is learnt that following the earthquake jolts which went on continuously for nearly three minutes, thirty 30 new "barrier lakes" have formed, which have stored trapped water and can pose a danger to nearly 100,000 people who could be swept away by the flash floods.
China has also pointed out the possibility of radiation occurring among the 50 sources buried under the earthquake debris. It is stated that nearly a dozen of the radiation sources are under destroyed buildings. The earthquake has killed nearly 1,000 children, destroyed 15 million homes, and forced the government to open its offices to house temporary shelters. Most of the official work has come to a standstill with many government officials having to double up as rescue workers during the normal working hours and evenings. The government has already set up one million tents, but it has requested Chinese private sector manufacturers to produce at least a half million more to accommodate all. Many children have also started attending classes under the tents after a period of mourning. With the earthquake destroying some 15 million homes, the next task for the Chinese government will be resettling and rebuilding the destroyed housing and other infrastructure.
Although China is a globalized resource rich economy and surplus exporter, it has humbly accepted all aid, and commanded strong international sympathy, receiving nearly $ 3 billion besides an initial team of international rescue experts. Already a second wave of foreign relief workers has stared pouring in to prevent disease and assess the reconstruction and rehabilitation effort. It is known that the longer term choice for the Chinese government is between abandoning severely damaged townships or else rebuilding from scratch which could take many years. Many of the relatives of the deceased had recently stated that the shoddy structures that caved in and buried those seeking to escape, was a major cause of the high number of deaths. The Chinese Government plans to investigate thoroughly in future and prevent it from happening again.
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