Emergency supply trucks battle treacherous weather conditions as they feverishly set out to deliver supplies to thousands of children whose schools and homes have collapsed after a powerful earthquake struck Sichuan, China.
World Vision drivers are weaving through winding mountain roads, from Kunming to Sichuan, racing against time.
"We pray for the safe arrival of the supply trucks," said World Vision relief worker Meimei Leung from the disaster site. "We know the journey is dangerous, that the roads are laden with boulders and threatened by landslides," she continued.
Ms. Leung said the devastation in Sichuan was widespread, the need tremendous. "I visited a few areas. ...camps of 1000 people, they had all relocated away from the disaster zone. Some of the areas were more than 80% wiped out. People are in need of food, clothing and shelter," she said.
World Vision relief crews have done assessments and are waiting to distribute supplies. Ms. Leung said, "When our supplies arrive, the World Vision team will unload and distribute 2,000 quilts and 130 tents to people who are desperate for shelter and warmth."
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
Residents search for their family at a collapsed building after an earthquake in Dujiangyan, Sichuan province May 13, 2008. China said on Tuesday an earthquake centred in the southwest province of ...
