As aftershocks continue to strike, including dual tremors that collapsed thousands of homes on Tuesday May 27, Mercy Corps is on the ground assisting earthquake survivors in China's Sichuan Province. We have procured and delivered critical supplies — such as water, noodles, milk and shelter items — to displaced families who have lost their homes. We are now coordinating plans for longer-term recovery and reconstruction, and are especially focused on education, counseling and activities for youth.

Today, a Mercy Corps-coordinated shipment containing nearly three tons of medical supplies for survivors and affected communities arrived in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. This effort, called "Flight of Hope," was made possible by collaboration with Boeing, Shenzen Airlines and Medical Teams International. Upon the cargo's arrival, these supplies were transferred to local health authorities for usage at hospitals and temporary health facilities around the region.

Photos: Reuters/Stringer, Reuters/Stringer, Reuters/Aly Song; courtesy of www.alertnet.org

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The 7.9 magnitude tremor that struck Sichuan Province on May 12 is estimated to have killed at least 67,000 people — and that toll has kept rising. In cities near the earthquake's epicenter, rescue crews continue to sift through the rubble of collapsed buildings in search of approximately 21,000 people who are still missing.

The Chinese government estimates that at least 436,000 homes have been destroyed, and there reports that about five million people are homeless.

Mercy Corps, through its local partners All China Youth Federation (ACYF) and China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) , is mounting an emergency response for survivors. Together, we have procured critical supplies such as food, water, clothing and shelter supplies and delivered them to affected families. We have deployed experienced staff members from our Beijing and U.S. headquarters offices to help coordinate efforts.

In addition, our team is finalizing plans for longer-term programming with our local partners. There are great needs for temporary schools, counseling and other activities for children in earthquake-shattered rural areas.

To serve these needs, we will be helping children and youth recover through our Comfort For Kids and Moving Forward Sports for Youth programs. We are translating "My Earthquake Story" — a variation on the "My Hurricane Story" workbook that was widely used in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina — into Mandarin Chinese and adapting it specifically for children in Sichuan Province. Senior-level psychologists, including the Chinese American Psychoanalytic Alliance (CAPA), are working with Mercy Corps on the adaptations, translations and training for local teachers and other caregivers. This workbook is appropriate for children of all ages, from toddlers through older youth. Thousands of copies will be distributed as part of the psychosocial program that we're planning to initiate in affected areas.

Two additional staff members are headed to China to help begin and implement psychosocial activities. Through its Comfort for Kids methodology — developed with Bright Horizons, the renowned early childhood education company — Mercy Corps has worked with post-trauma children around the world in trying to help them regain some sense of normalcy.

Mercy Corps has been assisting families and vulnerable communities in China since 2001. One of our programs — Project GLOW, supported by the Nike Foundation — is centered in Sichuan Province, the epicenter of the earthquake. We have confirmed that our staff and partners in the area are safe.