News Update

August 20, 2008 – According to Xinhua, the official news agency of the Chinese government, there have been 69,225 deaths, 374,640 injured, and 17,939 missing from the Wenchuan earthquake that struck Sichuan province on May 12th. UNICEF's assessment of quake-damaged areas indicates that nearly 7,000 schools were completely destroyed. Another 3,000 were damaged during the quake. Most of the students in the province are now attending class in temporary structures. Save the Children believes that an estimated three million children affected by the earthquake will need support for years to come to recover from the aftermath of the disaster. Read the latest press release.

Our Response

Save the Children is helping to meet the health, education, and protection needs of children living in tented cities where families whose homes were destroyed by the earthquake are being housed. The aid agency is supplying school equipment and supporting children from smaller marginalized schools, so that they can continue their education. 

Wen sits among the ruins of Pai Fang Primary school in An County, China. Save the Children / Colin Crowley

Save the Children has reached over 57,000 children in many ways:

• Established nine child-friendly spaces, benefiting nearly 1,986 children in Mianzhu, An, Qingchuan, and Pengzhu counties.
• 92 trained local volunteers are running activities in shifts in the child-friendly spaces helping children to play, learn, and develop safely.
• Distributed school supplies to 55,523 students and 524 teachers in 25 primary and middle schools. 
• Reached 1,321 children with health, nutrition and hygiene programs.

The Pai Fang Primary School in An Xian County, Sichuan Province was completely destroyed in the May 12th earthquake, leaving 290 children without a school building. Since the earthquake, children like Wen, age eight (pictured at right), have not been able to attend school. Save the Children is working with the Bureau of Education and the local community to provide transitional schools and supplies that would enable the children to return to school.   

A Child Survivor’s Story

Four-year-old Liu was in pre-school when the earthquake struck his village of Quingping. His story is told by his grandmother Chang who has been re-located to Mianzhu Stadium tent camp with her grandson. Read More

Read more about Save the Children's emergency responses around the world.