China - 2008 Sichuan Earthquake Relief

Buildings damaged by the Sichuan Earthquake
China, 2008

CHENGDU- HISG is working with a strategic partner in China to provide disaster relief to the communities affected by the earthquake in Sichuan on May 12, 2008. Officials estimate that nearly 70,000 people were killed, and several thousand more are still missing.


HISG's partner in Chengdu was the first aid organization to register in the Sichuan province, and is closely connected to HISG’s International Directors for Asia, Tom and Charlene Jennings. This organization has initiated community development projects for the Chinese in Sichuan and also among the Tibetan minorities that live in the rural mountain villages. For this relief effort, our partner has the full support of the Chinese Ministry of Health to import and transport items to previously restricted areas. They have also been offered a warehouse where they can stage shipments coming into the area. They are also partnering with the Red Cross, the Chinese army and several other NGOs to deliver aid to people in Sichuan.


HISG's strategic partners in this response have outlined a three-part response to the earthquake. First, they are trying to get food and water to the isolated villages that have been cut off from other sources. Teams are hiking up mountain roads that are currently impassable for vehicles to deliver aid to the villages. Secondly, they will help these isolated villages secure access to the supplies of food and clean water and begin to provide shelters. Finally, HISG and our partnering organization will assist in the long-term recovery of treating injuries, caring for families who have lost loved ones in the earthquake, and rebuilding homes and businesses.


In addition to the organization HISG is working with for long-term relief, a short-term team of volunteers sponsored by HISG's Canadian office was given permission to live and work in the areas hit hardest by the earthquake. The team provided urgently needed food, clothing, health kits, and teaching on sanitation techniques to groups of children, elderly and other people suffering from the effects of the quake. One of the workers from the HISG team lived in the "tent communities" and worked tirelessly to meet the massive needs of the people around him. His efforts were so diligent and selfless that the Chinese government recognized him with a Volunteer of the Month award.


Through connections to local organizations, HISG is able to supply large amounts of aid to the communities that need it the most, with minimal (less than 10%) administration costs. If you would like to help with this disaster relief project, please consider making a donation to HISG. To find out more information on how your organization can be involved in the China relief effort, click here.


This project has been tagged as an International Disaster Response project. Of the 14 IDR Primary Service Categories, activities took place in these areas.
International Disaster Response
1. Water Services

2. Food Services

3. Shelter Services

4. Medical Services

5. Individual Assistance Services
6. Personal Hygiene Services

7. Counseling and Spiritual Support

8. Physical Reconstruction Services

9. Logistics Management and Services

10. IT, Telecommunications
11. Special Needs Services

12. Donations Management

13. Professional Responders

14. Transition and Recovery
Want to learn more about the models developed by HISG for sustainable development and disaster response? Click here HIST Model or here IDR Model.


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