New Yorkers donate to flood-hit Henan province

NEW YORK－People with Chinese roots in New York are donating money to help flood-hit Henan province restore livelihoods and production.

Around $500,000 has been raised by various entities in New York, said Frank Zhang, president of Henan Chinese Associates USA, a mutual support group for people with roots in the province.

Meanwhile, a task force has been established to handle issues related to raising money for disaster relief in Henan, with multiple groups representing Americans of Chinese descent on board.

The task force was expected to raise $200,000 by Sunday, Zhang said on Saturday. More than 200,000 masks were shipped from Henan to New York and handed out to Americans of Chinese descent at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

"When we faced difficulties, we got help from Henan," Zhang said.

"Now, we should come forward and make our contributions to disaster relief in Henan."

More than 9.3 million people in Henan have been affected recently by heavy rainfall and floods, with over 1.1 million having been relocated to safer places.

Xinhua