Government of Canada Announces Assistance to China

Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, announced that the Government of Canada will provide $250,000 for humanitarian assistance to the people suffering the effects of the earthquake in the Tibetan region of Qinghai Province, in Western China. Through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Canada’s $250,000 contribution will support UNICEF’s efforts to help women and children who are at risk due to cold, hunger and displacement following the earthquake. It will help ensure the distribution of relief supplies, the establishment of water points and latrines, and the provision of up to 40,000 hygiene kits containing soap, buckets and other supplies. CIDA’s contribution will also support health, education, and water and sanitation initiatives, as well as the provision of tents for temporary schools. An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck a remote Tibetan area of China’s north-western province of Qinghai on April 14, 2010.