World Vision sends taskforce to Gansu earthquake

World Vision, the international children’s charity, has sent an emergency task force to China’s north-west Gansu province after two powerful earthquakes struck yesterday morning, claiming at least 50 lives.

The team will bring 400 tarpaulin rolls for makeshift shelters, along with 2,000 hygiene kits containing towels, soap and toothbrushes and toothpaste. They will carry another 2,000 child friendly kits containing toys, stationery and simple hygiene items. 

Wai Kim Lee, who manages the Wushan office for World Vision, also in Gansu province, felt the stairs shaking as he left his house for work. “People rushed into the street to find out what was happening,” he said.

When he reached the office his first task was making sure that everyone was safe in the areas where World Vision has projects.

He then liaised with colleagues in Hong Kong to organise the task force to help people in the affected areas. The tarpaulins will be sourced locally in Lanzhou and the hygiene and child friendly kits come from a forward warehouse in Tianjin.

Victor Kan, national director of World Vision China, said “By distributing these kits to children in targeted disaster-affected communities, we hope to help the children re-establish a sense of normality and ensure that they enjoy good psychosocial health.”

The task force is travelling with a psychology expert who will evaluate the needs of the quake-affected survivors and help the affected children to feel safe again.