UN appeals for China quake relief
The United Nations yesterday launched a 33.5 million dollar appeal to aid relief efforts in southwest China where a magnitude-8.0 earthquake on May 12 left nearly 70,000 people dead. "It is the hope of the United Nations and the international community that China will quickly recover from this enormous tragedy," Khalid Malik, UN resident coordinator in China, said in a statement. The appeal will address the needs of the poor and vulnerable among the affected population, who are trying to rebuild after having survived the devastating earthquake, the statement said.