WASHINGTON, D.C. - The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), have provided $500,000 to the International Federation of Red Cross for the procurement and delivery of emergency relief commodities, as a result of the devastating earthquake that struck China. U.S. Ambassador Clark Randt declared a disaster due to the impact of the earthquake.

On May 12, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Wenchuan County in China's southwest Sichuan Province, killing an estimated 12,000 people, injuring more than 26,000 others, and leaving thousands buried, according to Sichuan provincial government officials. Aftershocks occurred through May 13, causing residents of affected areas to temporarily take shelter in tent cities rather than return to damaged houses. The earthquake caused approximately 500,000 buildings to collapse throughout Sichuan Province, according to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

The humanitarian community expects the number of deaths to increase significantly as rescue teams access the most affected areas near the epicenter. USAID will continue to monitor the situation and coordinate with the Government of China.

For more information about USAID's emergency humanitarian assistance programs, please visit: www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian_assistance/disaster_assistance/.

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