Posts Tagged ‘housing’

20090403: Xinhua: China’s quake-hit Sichuan aims to finish most rebuilding by 2010

Monday, April 6th, 2009

China’s quake-hit Sichuan aims to finish most rebuilding by 2010
www.chinaview.cn 2009-04-03 10:57:58

Special Report: Reconstruction After Earthquake
CHENGDU, April 3 (Xinhua) — Southwest China’s Sichuan Province said it would accelerate post-quake rebuilding in an effort to finish most of the work by September 2010, a year ahead of schedule.
The goal is to complete 85 percent of the reconstruction projects and ensure “housing and employment for each family,” according to a provincial meeting for accelerating reconstruction held Thursday.
The completion targets cover more than 90 percent of transport projects, 98 percent of power grids and 99 percent of public service projects such as medical care.
The meeting said 85 percent of the rebuilding work in worst-hit areas, and all work except for some major projects in less-affected areas, would be completed by September 2010.
Reconstruction of rural housing will be completed at the end of this year, with that in townships and cities to be finished before May 2010.
Students who now attend classes in temporary building are to be back in permanent structures by next spring.
The magnitude-8.0 quake that hit southwest China, centered in Wenchuan, Sichuan, on May 12 last year, killed more than 69,000 people. It also left nearly 18,000 missing, more than 374,000 injured and millions homeless.
The Sichuan government estimated post-quake rebuilding will cost about 1.6 trillion yuan (235 billion U.S. dollars)

“Sichuan Foreigners Rally to Help Locals”, People’s Daily Online

Monday, May 19th, 2008

From the People’s Daily:

The Chengdu expat community is rallying to support locals in relief and recovery efforts to overcome this disaster. Foreigners want to give and want to personally help the victims of this natural disaster in anyway they can. Under the auspices of local expat businesses, appeals have begun for donations.

Peter Goff, in partnership with Chengdu residents and through the cooperation of The Bookworm, is leading one of these appeals. The Bookworm is a bustling expat online community on book and culture-related activity and has branches in Beijing, Chengdu, and in Suzhou of East China’s Jiangsu province.

The Bookworm Chengdu has become a focal point in assisting expat support for quake victims. Smaller groups, such as Heart to Heart and Morning Tears, are also providing food, water, shelter and medicines.

Expat music acts, including the Bossma Band, Mark on the Piano, Proximity Butterfly and Red Water performed to raise funds at a Bookworm event last Thursday. Heart to Heart also gave a short presentation on their current operations in the affected areas. From the successful one night, more than 33,000 yuan ($4,700) was raised in funds from about 100 members of the local expat community to be directly used by local groups in the relief effort.

Further donations, especially cash, are still welcomed by the groups. Much needed items include: non-perishable food, basic medicines, tents, blankets, sleeping bags, stretchers, small power-generators, small water sanitation equipment, and simple housing materials. The local expat community is also committed to helping fellow residents in the medium to longer-term community recovery efforts. This community recovery process is held together by communication of information which enables people to know what is needed, co-ordinate their activities and avoid creating additional problems.

Sichuan expats centered on the activities of The Bookworm are moving forward to helping interpret the information on all current relief operations and exactly where and when people can help to make a difference to those affected by the disastrous earthquake. For more information regarding donations and recovery efforts, contact the Bookworm on (+86) 028 8552-0177.

The author is Australian Youth Ambassador for Development with the Chengdu Urban Rivers Association.