By Robbie Barnett

The following is an update from
news organizations and local groups working in Yushu, a Tibetan area in China’s
Qinghai Province, where a massive earthquake struck on April 14.

A small coalition of local
grassroots NGOs from Qinghai – including Snowland Service Group, Tsongkha
Charitable Association, Sanchuan Development Association, Friend of Rural
Community Development, Shem Women’s Group, and the Pentok Institute – has set
up a consortium to accept donations. Please be generous: www.yushuearthquakeresponse.org.

Mass cremation took place of
several hundred or 1000 bodies at Jyeku monastery. Officials stayed away and
let monks handle the ritual.  (AP: China
quake dead cremated, in break with tradition)

***

 

Official death count rises again: 1,484
dead, 312 missing and 12,088 injured, as of 5 p.m. Saturday.(Xinhua: Death
toll rises to 1,484 in China quake)

 

***

 

Hu Jintao arrives in Yushu, 18th
April, to “direct relief work”. “He first visited the village of Zhaxi Datong to
inspect the situation and to console the quake’s victims. Hu then paid a visit
to those injured in the quake receiving treatment at the stadium in Yushu to
check there were enough medical supplies and that epidemic prevention and
control work was proceeding smoothly.”  (Xinhua:
President
Hu Arrives in Quake-Hit Yushu to Direct Relief Effort)

***

Snow forecast
for Monday, temperatures could drop to minus 12 centigrade. The temperature
difference between day and night in Yushu is huge, ranging from 22.9 to minus
12.8 degrees centigrade. (China Daily: Quake-Hit
Yushu to Brace for Snow)

***

Yushu Earthquake Response, a local NGO consortium team in Xining now says

Their first 4 vehicle convoy with emergency
supplies has arrived in Jyeku. A new distribution center is being set up out of
town to avoid security and safety problems. They have a much clearer picture of
what is required:

–
major
water filtration equipment

–         water storage

–         communications equipment

–         plus basic human need stuff on a massive scale.

–         generators

–         solar stoves and solar power storage.

“We’re sending in 4 motorbikes so our crew
can get around on damaged roads and assess needs in outlying areas, plus transport
people back to hospitals or relief centres – this is a very practical idea from
the people on the ground” A second supply vehicle is on the way to Jyeku. The
Xining group now has 20 people involved in purchasing and logistics, with 2
planning/reporting meetings each day, including a team of local students
working with the accountant to track purchases, donations and receipts. YER now
has a website for donations and news updates.

***

Schools:  “The quake destroyed more than a third of the
school buildings in Jiegu and rendered the rest dangerous, according to a
statement on the Qinghai provincial government’s news Web site. It said 684
students and teachers were wounded and another 73 were either buried in rubble
or missing.” https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_china_earthquake

***

Airport: 22 planes landed at
the nearby airport (Batang) in the first four days, suggested very limited
functionality.

***

First Village Report:
In the first report from a rural area, Sichuan Quake Relief has sent a
team with official permission to a village 75kms north west of Jyeku, where
there are reports of severe damage and no aid. See *Specific Funding Request
for Longbao town, Yushu (April 16):  “The
town has a population of 8,700 (1,800 families). Initial reports indicate that
the town was severely affected by the quake and there is a high death toll and
many injuries. The survivors are in need of: Basic medical supplies (mostly
bandages, antibiotics, painkillers etc), tents, blankets, a power generator,
water, instant food. ” https://sichuan-quake-relief.org/2010/04/specific-funding-request-for-longbao-town-yushu/

Plateau Perspectives had a second medical team arrive and noted:

• No electricity that isn’t generator driven
• Military has been able to set up a “mobile hospital” with standard hospital equipment
• The military and the Health Department are still excited to have us help their Peoples
  relief efforts
• Serious need for water and food are still present.
• Front end loaders are still clearing the streets
• Survivors are still being rescued from the rubble.

(Relief Update as of 10:20pm, 4/17 Local Time  https://yushuearthquakerelief.com/)

 

***

Leadership statement: “China’s
central leadership urges all-out efforts to save lives in quake zone”: China’s
leading body, the Standing Committee of the Politburo, declared “It is at a
critical time for the relief work that requires “enhanced strength and
efforts to search every village and household” to search for and save
survivors and make sure that no blind spot is left in the quake zone”.  Efforts should be stepped up to transfer and treat the injured timely and effectively, and authorities should assist and
well settle quake-affected people, according to a statement released after the
meeting.  The transportation of relief
supplies should be strengthened to ensure the local people can get daily
necessities, including food, clothes, clean water and shelters, as well as
timely medical treatment, the statement said. (Xinhua: China’s Central Leadership Urges All-Out Efforts to Save Lives in Quake Zone)

***

 

 “Open information”, foreign donations
“managed”:
At the Standing Committee of the Politburo, “the leaders stressed that open
information about the situation of the quake and the relief work should be
released in a timely, accurate, comprehensive and objective manner. Efforts
should be made to ensure social harmony and stability, the statement said.
Donations, including those from foreign countries, should be managed and used
properly.”

 

***

 

Monk-soldier relations:
some “misunderstandings” took place, and a local lama had to mediate on a
couple of occasions. A strong article appeared in the New York Times describing
some tensions (NY Times: After
Quake, Tibetans Distrust China’s Help). Other journalists in Jyeku, writing
privately, disagreed with the representation of significant tensions or of
significant violence in the town.

***

Websites: David Germano has
set up a website for information at www.yushutibet.info.
Columbia’s website is at https://www.columbia.edu/cu/weai/tibetrelief.html
.

 

Prof. Robbie Barnett is a senior research
scholar, assistant professor, and director of Modern Tibetan Studies at
Columbia University.