Donations received

China had received 3.175 billion yuan ($454 million) in cash and goods from domestic and overseas donors for quake-hit areas as of 4 pm on Friday, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Domestic donations totaled 2.595 billion yuan so far, while 19 foreign governments and four international organizations contributed 580 million yuan in cash and goods.

Adoption possible

People will be able to adopt quake orphans in conformity with the law once order has been restored to quake-hit regions, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said on Friday.

In the meantime, local governments will take responsibility for looking after these orphans. The ministry also asked local civil affairs bureaus to properly accommodate these children and help them recover from the impact of the quake.

Appeal for aid

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday urged foreign governments and other official bodies to contact the ministry concerning donations and aid to quake-hit areas.

Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said it will immediately inform the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the donations, which will be sent to the affected areas as soon as possible.

China welcomed, and was extremely grateful for, the relief goods donated by many countries after the strong quake jolted the southwestern province of Sichuan on Monday, Qin said.

Auditing pledge

The National Audit Office said on Friday that it would audit the use of cash and, goods for quake-hit regions, to ensure resources were strictly managed, and used in a proper and timely manner.

The office will ensure these resources are distributed on time and in full; that they are distributed in an open and just way, and that they are used for the designated purposes, said the statement. Auditors will investigate and deal with any attempt to hide, intercept or misappropriate donations.

Further assistance

The Ministry of Finance set aside an additional 1.17 billion yuan ($167 million) on Friday for disaster relief for quake-hit regions. The move brought the total amount earmarked so far for disaster relief to 3.41 billion yuan.

Total revealed

As of noon on Friday, the Red Cross Society of China had received a total of 1.155 billion yuan from domestic and overseas donors, and provided aid worth 223 million yuan to the affected areas.

The society has made an emergency appeal for international aid for areas hit by Monday's earthquake.

On Thursday, the society asked the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for financial assistance for the affected people.

The money will be used to buy relief materials, including food, drinking water, tents, warm clothes, lighting equipment and telecommunications facilities, according to the society.

Pakistani generosity

The Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) on Friday handed over $50,000 to Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Luo Zhaohui for earthquake victims.

PRCS Acting Chairman Gul Hanif said that is the first step taken by PRCS to help the victims in the earthquake, and it will keep in touch with the Chinese side to find out what it can do in the relief operations.

Relics destroyed

The State Administration of Cultural Heritage said yesterday that two national-level relics - the 1,513-year-old Temple of Two Kings in Dujiangyan and Pengzhou Monastery built in 1895 - were totally destroyed by Monday's earthquake.

In the whole province, 45 key national cultural relics and 59 key provincial relics were damaged, said the administration.

(China Daily 05/17/2008 page4)