UN helps authorities in China search for radioactivity after quake in Sichuan

Training and equipment supplied by the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has helped emergency workers search for sources of radioactivity during rescue work following the massive earthquake that hit China’s Sichuan province last month, according to a statement of the United Nations.

In the two weeks immediately following the earthquake, a team of radioactive source search and recovery experts fanned out across all disaster-stricken areas.

China’s main centres for designing, making and storing nuclear arms are located in the shattered earthquake zone.

Close to the epicentre of the quake is Mianyang, a science city whose outskirts house the primary laboratory for the design of Chinese nuclear arms. Known as the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics, it has centres throughout Sichuan.

The teams which were educated by the UN used radiation detection equipment to pinpoint the location of 50 sources and safely recover all of them, according to China’s National Nuclear Safety Administration. Most of the sources were used in industry.

Under an IAEA Technical Cooperation Project launched in early 2007, staff from Chinese national authorities were trained in how to search for radioactive sources, and to then control and dispose of them safely.

A series of week-long national training workshops on recovery was attended by some 100 Chinese search team members from each of the country’s 31 provinces.

Nabil Lutfi, the IAEA Programme Management Officer responsible for organizing the workshops explained in a statement of the UN: “At the time of the training workshops, we had no clue that the training and equipment would be used in such a disaster.”

In addition to the training that Chinese authorities received, the IAEA made an in-kind contribution of radiation detection and search equipment.

The main complex for making nuclear warhead fuel in the country, codenamed Plant 821, is in part of the earthquake zone, some 25 kilometres north-west of Guangyuan in Sichuan.

The 7.9-magnitude earthquake of 12 May devastated China’s mountainous Sichuan province, killing an estimated 69,000 people. Over 370.000 people were injured and over 17,500 are listed as missing. The earthquake left about 4.8 million people homeless.

UN supplies medical kits and telecoms equipment for earthquake relief in China

Emergency health kits capable of providing assistance to 30,000 people for up to one month have been rushed into the quake-affected areas of Sichuan province in China by the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO), according to a statement of the WHO.

State media report that over 41,000 people lost their lives as a result of the massive temblor on 12 May, which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale.

Some 32,000 people are missing, while more than 250,000 others have sustained injuries. Roughly 5 million people have been left homeless.

State media report that over 41,000 people lost their lives as a result of the massive temblor on 12 May, which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale. Some 32,000 people are missing, while more than 250,000 others have sustained injuries. Roughly 5million people have been left homeless.

Relief supplies
The UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) did deploy one hundred satellite terminals to provide accurate coordination of relief and rescue operations, as UN aid agencies continue their humanitarian efforts.

WHO is sending an expert team to collaborate with the Government on rebuilding its health infrastructure, while about 5,000 chlorine disinfection tablets, drinking-water treatment units and mobile toilets are being supplied to control the outbreak and spread of communicable diseases such as diarrhoea.

In a statement issued today, WHO said that it promotes the construction of hospitals and health facilities that can survive the impact of natural disasters, including high-intensity earthquakes. In most cases a very small increase in construction costs is sufficient to enable health facilities to withstand such disasters.

ITU said the 100 mobile satellite terminals they are supplying are easily transported by road and air and can be used by both humanitarian workers and quake victims.

“I would like to assure the Government that ITU is ready to provide expertise in carrying out telecommunication network damage assessments aimed at paving the way for the rehabilitation of the damaged telecommunications structure," said Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau.

The hand-held Thuraya satellite phones use both satellite and GSM networks and can provide accurate GPS coordinates to support relief and rescue efforts.

The UN has contributed $8 million from its Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) the Chinese Government, and for use by the world body's agencies working on the ground.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR is supplying tents and emergency shelter, while the UN World Food Programme (WFP) is providing relief food supplies of rice, wheat flour and cooking oil.

Meanwhile, the UN Children's Fund UNICEF is taking part in a mission organized by the Government to provide immediate psycho-social assistance for children suffering from emotional trauma following the tremors, and is also providing tents, blankets and school kits.

The UN Development Programme UNDP has allocated $100,000 for emergency relief activities, part of which will be put towards coordinating the aid response.