In the Wake of China’s Disastrous Earthquake, Travel to Area Not Advised

The death toll is still rising and workers are working around the clock to pull survivors from the rubble in and around Wenchuan, the epicenter of the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that has taken more than 12,000 lives as of this morning (Wednesday, May 13). In a massive relief effort, over 50,000 troops have been sent by China’s government to help victims but roads and transport lines were devastated in the quake and aid is slowly getting through.

What Can You Do? According to CNN, “China is welcoming donations of money and material but not relief workers because officials say the country’s roads cannot handle additional traffic.” The site lists several organizations that are gathering contributions for China’s relief:

• Red Cross
• World Vision
• Mercy Corps
• Save the Children

Travel to Sichuan Province & Chengdu: The US Embassy in Beijing website says that the status of Chengdu’s airport is unclear so travelers should check with their travel agents and airline offices to find out if flights are landing. The airport has been closed to commercial airlines, saving limited traffic for the aid effort.