Urgent Appeal
US$290,000 in emergency assistance needed for snowstorm victims in Inner Mongolia
Amity is seeking US$290,000 to aid victims of the late December 2000 / early January 2001 violent snowstorms in Inner Mongolia. Individuals or organizations may send contributions clearly marked Inner Mongolia Relief directly to Amity's Headquarters in Nanjing.
Personal checks / Bank drafts: |
Wire transfers to: |
payable to "The Amity Foundation"
The Amity Foundation
71 Hankou Road
Nanjing, 210008
P.R.China
|
The Amity Foundation
a/c: 958011482420069
Bank of China,
Nanjing Central Branch
Nanjing, P.R.China
|
Background
Violent snowstorms began slashing across the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on December 31. Drifts of up to 75 centimeters covered half the Region. Normal January temperatures of minus 10-20 degrees Centigrade fell to below minus 30-40 degrees. More casualties and losses are forecast as meteorologists warn more heavy snowfalls will occur and lower temperatures will continue until the end of April. Official statistics as of January 18 report:
People killed: 27
People directly affected: 1.64 million
Large animals killed: 206,000
Large animals affected: 22,300,000
The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, bordering Mongolia and Russia comprises 1.1 million square kilometers with a population of 23 million people. Ten percent of the Region's people live on grasslands which occupy 80% of the total area. Most are herdspeople who make their living raising cattle and sheep. The violent snowstorms have been particularly severe in the grasslands of the eastern and central regions, which comprise half the total area of Inner Mongolia.
Impact on Human Life
The impact on human life and property is severe and complex. In wintertime, the large animals graze on land now affected and herdspeople purchase daily supplies in local village stores. Meals are prepared and homes heated partially with animal dung collected from the grasslands and partially with coal purchased in village stores. With heavy snows covering the grasslands, the large animals cannot graze. Stored fodder purchased with the herdspeople's meager savings, will soon be totally consumed. The large animals, the basic source of income for the herdspeople, are trapped in thick icy snows and under the threat of dying of hunger in large numbers.
The heavy snowfall limits herdspeople gathering animal dung for heating and cooking fuel and has blocked access to nearly all townships and villages. Food, rice, coal and other daily necessities cannot be delivered from the outside, causing hunger among the people. The lack of heating calls for increased heavy clothing and quilts, and is means increased illness due to hunger and coldness.
Target Area and Immediate Needs
Amity is already working with local authorities and 5,500 individuals in Abacaqi County, one of the 31 worst hit counties, to provide: 247,500 kilos of flour; one million kilos of fodder; 5,000 pieces of cotton clothing; 2,000 cotton quilts; and 20 mobile telephones for local relief workers to communicate with the outside in sparsely populated snow affected grasslands.
Responsibility
Amity is the major agency providing planning, managing, monitoring and supervision. Amity is working in close cooperation with a local implementation group headed by the branch office of the Overseas Friendship Association. Other representatives are from relevant county and township agencies and the herdspeople themselves. Relief materials are locally purchased through a bidding system. The entire relief process will run from January 26-May 26, 2001.
Update: 12th February 2001
The past two weeks have seen frequent snowfalls in snowstorm affected areas in Inner Mongolia. By 6th February, people and big animals seriously affected increased to about 2.56 million and 26 million respectively (from the original 1.64 million and 20.6 million). Around 380,000 big animals have died of hunger and cold. The affected herdspeople are in severe shortage of food, fodder, warm clothes and quilts. External assistance is needed urgently.
For more detailed information, please contact Amity's Relief & Rehabilitation section:
E-mail:
afn71@public1.ptt.js
Tel: 86-25-8331-7034
Fax: 86-25-8663-1701
