A woman rests outside a collapsed building in an area hit by the April 20 earthquake in Sichuan province, China. Photo: China Christian Council
The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) has announced that it will contribute a $1,5000 grant to aid victims of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Sichuan province in China on April 20. The quake and its aftershocks killed more than 200 people and injured thousands.
PWRDF works through ACT Alliance, a coalition of more than 130 churches and affiliated organizations that focuses its efforts on humanitarian aid, development and advocacy.
Early reports from ACT warned that the earthquake had caused more than half the buildings in the epicenter area in rural Lushan county to collapse and that rescue efforts were hampered by broken communications links and blocked roads.
Using its collective funds, ACT plans to provide rice and cooking oil to 1,500 families for a year, as well as quilts. It will also give plastic sheeting to 400 homeless families and construct 400 earthquake-proof houses. The money will also help 500 families to rebuild or repair livestock pens and obtain seed to replant fields. ACT also plans to reconstruct eight drinking water systems and to provide community-based psychosocial support to the survivors.
Contributions to PWRDF can be made online at the Canada Helps website. For credit card donations, contact Jennifer Brown at 416-924-9192 ext. 355 or at 1-866-308-7973. Please do not send your credit card number by email or fax. Donations by cheque can be earmarked “Sichuan earthquake” and sent to PWRDF at 80 Hayden St., Toronto, Ont., M4Y 3G2.