Disaster relief efforts are in full swing in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region following a 6.8-magnitude earthquake, with hundreds of personnel installing prefabricated homes to relocate affected residents.
The quake jolted Dingri County of Xigaze City on Tuesday morning, with at least 126 people confirmed to have lost their lives and 188 others injured, and over 3,600 homes collapsed.
As of 17:00 Thursday, the Ministry of Emergency Management had mobilized emergency rescue teams specializing in engineering, safety production and emergency power supply.
A total of 84 teams have been deployed, comprising 1,586 people, with 1,019 sets of equipment and three helicopters.
So far, over 160 damaged houses have been checked and 500 households have received emergency aid, totaling more than 2,600 people.
These teams have also helped install over 100 prefabricated houses and delivered more than 61,000 emergency relief items.
Meanwhile, materials such as mobile homes have started arriving in the earthquake-affected areas.
In Lhaze County, the installation of the first batch of prefabricated homes is underway.
On Thursday, at a vacant site in front of Lhaze High School, excavators were leveling the ground in preparation for the construction of these prefabricated homes.
By 19:00 Thursday, half of the ground was leveled and 400 sets of mobile homes had been delivered to the construction site.
Work on the water and power supply for these homes was also progressing.
"Due to the weather conditions, strong winds, the hoisting work is risky. But we'll try our best to speed up the progress while ensuring the safety," said Jiang Lei, site manager of the Lhaze relocation project.
Relief efforts in full swing in quake-hit Xizang
Relief efforts in full swing in quake-hit Xizang
Relief efforts in full swing in quake-hit Xizang
More than 125,000 Syrian refugees who have recently returned to Syria are facing severe challenges, including inadequate shelter, healthcare, and economic opportunities, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Despite hopes that political changes in Syria would pave the way for their return, many refugees are confronting critical shortages in basic services. These difficulties persist amid the country's ongoing struggles, which have left much of Syria devastated by years of conflict.
Syria remains the source of world's largest refugee crisis, with more than 14 million Syrians displaced since 2011. While there have been hopes for stability following recent political developments, the country's devastation from years of conflict continues to pose significant challenges for those returning.
Nearly 15 million Syrians now require healthcare, while 13 million face acute food insecurity, and many are struggling with shelter shortages amid harsh winter conditions. Ongoing instability in areas under Caretaker Authorities, marked by continuing clashes, has compounded these issues.
At a briefing this week to the UN Security Council, Thomas Fletcher, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, underscored the importance of facilitating aid, noting that sanctions should not obstruct humanitarian support.
"We need to ensure efficient flow of support into and through Syria. This means that any sanctions should not impede humanitarian support. The United States' announcement of a new General License covering transactions with Syrian governing institutions also provides a welcome signal. It also means support for and from Syria's neighbors," said Fletcher. The UN says it needs 73.2 million U.S. dollars over the next six months to support more than 1.1 million people. Officials say they urgently need shelter, water, and health services, warnings that it is time now to turn words into actions.
125,000 Syrian refugees face desperate conditions after returning home: UNHCR
125,000 Syrian refugees face desperate conditions after returning home: UNHCR
