The Disaster
Affected by Typhoon Doksuri, the northeastern region of China experienced extremely heavy rainfall in July 2023. Shulan City of Jilin Province suffered a once-in-a-century flood, causing a vast amount of farmland being flooded, lots of houses and roads were damaged.
Oxfam Hong Kong Humanitarian Responses
After Oxfam Hong Kong and its partner China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development conducted an on-site inspection and assessment after the flooding, Oxfam Hong Kong applied for a grant of HK$ 4,790,000 from the Hong Kong SAR Disaster Relief Fund to help 9,600 severely affected households in Shulan City. Each household is supplied with 10 litres of cooking oil, 20 kilograms of rice and 30 kilograms of flour.
The aid material distribution started on November 21, 2023, and was completed on November 25, 2023. It covered a total of 84 villages in 8 townships and villages in Shulan City. The arrangements for the distribution of materials and the villagers' roster are posted on the public bulletin board of the village committee, and the villagers can receive the materials after signing the roster.
This has helped more than 22,000 affected people get through a period of difficulty and return to normal life as soon as possible.
In the past, the northeastern China was less affected by typhoons. Typhoon Doksuri in July 2023, was the strongest typhoon in Quanzhou, Fujian Province history, subsequent heavy rain were brought to Beijing -Tianjin-Hebei region. As of August 1, there were 11 deaths in Beijing alone associate with the heavy rain. Its remnant circulation has since continued to drift towards northeast China, bringing heavy rains and severe flooding to the region.
The flooding in Shulan City (photo by Xinhua News Agency)
After Oxfam Hong Kong distributed aid materials in Fangshen Village, Ping'an Town, Shulan City, the roster of materials distribution was posted on the village’s bulletin board.
In the past, typhoons mostly affected the southeastern coastal areas of China. But recent years, typhoons’ impact became more prominent in the northeastern and northern China.
As extreme weather events become more frequent as the global climate warms, we must provide support to underdeveloped areas and vulnerable communities, helping them adapt to the negative impacts of climate change. In recent years, Oxfam Hong Kong has also been actively implementing climate adaptation projects in remote rural areas in China to assist marginalised communities in adapting to climate change.