China: Sichuan earthquake relief update, May 19

Up to May 18, 9:00 pm, total death toll: 34,073, injured: 245,108.

China today began a 3-day national mourning for the tens of thousands of people killed in a powerful earthquake which struck the country's southwest on May 12. This afternoon at 2:28, in our Nanjing offices, Amity staff, volunteers and donors who were present stood in silent tribute in Amity's courtyard facing Wenchuan, Sichuan Province, to mourn the victims.

Front Line:

Amity staff on the ground have decided to focus their relief work in certain rural areas of Sichuan. From our assessment in the disaster zone, emergency relief supplies from all over the country have been mainly delivered to urban areas. It is estimated that the supply is near to meeting the basic needs. However, outlying rural areas have not received as much attention. Amity plans to coordinate self-help teams among the villages themselves to help. As we get a better understanding of the basic information and needs, more systematic post-disaster relief work will then be implemented.

Today, He Wen, Yue Yaomeng and Zheng Ye, together with Leo Lu Kwongfai and Mr. Shu Heng came to Bolin township to distribute quilts, and held a meeting with more than 70 victims in the village. In the afternoon, Amity staff went to Deyang Township of Deyang City to get more understanding of the situation for the next stage of post-disaster relief work.

The searching and emergency rescue work by the military and professional rescuers is drawing towards an end.

There's this one boy. One little boy amidst all this chaos that truly demonstrated courage and deep understanding of the situation.

He told the soldiers to rescue the rest of his classmates first, even though he was covered in blood and his body was protecting them

I salute him.

As I do the soldiers/rescuers/relatives.

WATCH THIS: http://youtube.com/watch?v=bslFd-zx03c

I pray that the trauma of this tragedy will soon come to pass. I pray that your grief be lifted, even slightly.


AND LET ME GIVE YOU ALL A WAKE UP CALL.
All of us are so damn lucky to be in the situations we are in now.
None of us really know what is "死了啦" (die le la) and none of us knows what true love is.
So we'd all better friggin' APPRECIATE what we've got.
Cuz those people stuck in the rubble as a result of the earthquake in Sichuan have persevered SO HARD.
We aren't even worthy of saying we know what perseverance is. We can't even describe it.

so, thank God for all that you have. love every moment of every day.

BECAUSE LIFE IS SO UNPREDICTABLE.