Emergency Aid for Heavy Snowfall Disaster in Southern China

February 5, 2008

On February 5 (Tue), the Government of Japan decided to extend emergency relief goods, including blankets and electric generators, equivalent to approximately 57 million yen to the Government of China, which has sustained serious damage from heavy snowfalls.

In China, heavy snowfalls caused by a strong cold wave have caused disastrous damage centering on the southern region since last month. According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, 60 people are dead, more than 1,750,000 people are in shelters, and more than 220,000 houses have collapsed. The total number of affected populations in the provinces exceeds 100 million and the direct economic loss is estimated to reach about 53.8 billion yuan (about 810 billion yen). At present, it is still not clear when the basic infrastructure including electricity and potable water will be restored and the daily life of the citizens has been greatly affected. With Chinese New Year on February 7 approaching, people’s homecoming visits are also greatly affected.

In such a serious situation, the Government of China has been endeavoring to assist the affected populations by, for example, dispatching leaders of the government to damaged areas, and has requested emergency assistance from the Government of Japan.
The Government of Japan has decided to extend this emergency assistance in light of the urgent need of relief activities and from the humanitarian viewpoint.

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