On 14 April 14 2010, an earthquake magnitude 7.1 hit Yushu Prefecture, the largest Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province, China. Nearly 90% of the buildings of the main city of the prefecture, Jiegu, were destroyed, leaving thousands of people trapped in the rubble and hundreds of thousands homeless. ASIA has been the major foreign organization bringing aid to Yushu both at the time of the earthquake and in the months following. It has made four deliveries of tents, blankets, food, shoes, stoves and other urgently needed supplies. See the ASIA website for the full picture.

The UK Dzogchen Community immediately gathered donations of £1,000 for the people of Yushu.

Emergency within an emergency

Right now, the living conditions of the people in the tent camps are still extremely serious. Hygiene is in a precarious state, there is no water and there are no toilet facilities. Breeding grounds for tuberculosis are endangering the health of thousands of people. The Khampa nomad families, which are very numerous, are living in overcrowded tents, crammed between furniture and other objects that have been saved from their ruined homes and the rubble.

In this period there is a real emergency within the emergency: the freezing winter has brought the lives of these people to the limits of survival. Yushu’s altitude averages 4,000 metres and its winter lasts almost all year. In the depths of winter, the temperature goes down to minus 30°. To help support the people of Yushu to come through the harsh winter ASIA has launched a campaign to raise further funds.

PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY!