Volunteers rise to challenge in flood-stricken Henan

Li Feng, head of Green Boat Emergency Rescue, which is also headquartered in Beijing, said her organization sent 31 members to help with disaster relief work in Henan. The team members include a bus driver, doctor and a businessman.

Li, who works for an international company in Beijing, did not travel to Henan, but she has barely managed to get more than three hours' sleep for the past few days as she liaises with team members on the distribution of disaster relief materials.

In addition to helping local authorities monitor flood-stricken areas, evacuate residents and assist doctors in providing medical services in isolated locations, the team has allocated disaster relief materials to residents in 10 remote villages, Li said.

To date, the team has distributed materials valued at 5 million yuan ($771,000), she added.

"I haven't slept much, not only because I am busy with coordination work, but also because I am worried about the safety of my team," she said.

Li said media reports have appeared about dangerous situations, such as the dam breach and an explosion at a chemical plant. She added, "The team often had no mobile phone signal and I couldn't get in touch with them."