The Disaster
On December 19, 2023, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Jishishan County, Linxia Prefecture, Gansu Province. A total of 419 administrative villages in 46 townships from Jishishan County, Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Hualong Hui Autonomous County, and Xunhua Salar Autonomous County in Qinghai Province were severely affected. As of December 31, a total of 34 people had been killed in Jishishan County.
Oxfam Hong Kong Humanitarian Responses
Oxfam Hong Kong and its partner, the China Friendship Foundation for Peace and Development have set up close communication with the local community of the affected areas after the earthquake. We went to the three counties to access the post-disaster recovery situations and needs of the affected people. Oxfam Hong Kong then applied for a grant of HK$5,986,000 from the Hong Kong SAR Disaster Relief Fund to provide 10 litres of cooking oil, 20 kg of rice, 30 kg of flour and 2 quilts to 7,500 households in 403 villages severely affected by the earthquake in Minhe Hui and Tu Autonomous County, Hualong Hui Autonomous County, and Xunhua Salar Autonomous County. The recover efforts have helped over 20,000 affected people to overcome the difficulties and return to the normal life as soon as possible.
Oxfam Hong Kong also allocated its own funds to assist the affected people in Xiaqiazang Village in Hualong Hui Autonomous County. We have provided 10 litres of cooking oil, 20 kilograms of rice, 30 kilograms of flour, 2 quilts and a heating stove to each of the 62 households in the village.
Oxfam Hong Kong is currently planning to help villages with poor resources in the affected areas through post-disaster recovery projects to help them improve their livelihoods and adapt to climate change.
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Oxfam Hong Kong pays special attention to the women in the disaster-stricken areas. We visited some women at the temporary resettlement site in Guanting Town and asked them about their current living conditions in the resettlement, whether they faced any particular difficulties. We also collected their feedback and satisfactory level about the aid materials we distributed.
The local villagers were very satisfied with the aid materials we distributed, especially the stove. They thought the metal plate of the stove was thick enough to last for more than ten to twenty years.