Many children were on vacation when the 6-point-8-magnitude earthquake struck Dingri county. Providing help to affected children is now a key focus of the post-disaster recovery. Our reporter Liu Yang meets a team of experts on their way to help a group of young people in need.
In Dingri county, the epicenter of the earthquake that hit Xizang Autonomous Region, members of the Sichuan Red Cross are planning a big surprise for children impacted by the disaster. But what's the best gift for children in earthquake-stricken areas? That's right. Football, badminton, toys, paintbrushes and skipping ropes, all carefully selected by members of the team, who hope the gifts bring the children a dose of happiness in a time of crisis. An hour later, the surprise will be revealed.
And the children's love for football is beyond words. As for the girls, painting looks to have been a good choice. A unique football match was held on one of Xizang's snowy plateaus, at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters. There were no winners or losers, and no goals. The aim was simply for those who experienced the earthquake to temporarily forget the trauma of losing their homes. Here, football and painting have become an important link between the disaster-stricken children and members of the Sichuan Red Cross.
SONG YAO, Team Leader, Sichuan Red Cross Psychological Rescue "These colorful colors represent the sunshine in their hearts. What's more touching is that on this wish tree they wrote their dreams about wanting to be soldiers and football players and many more."
Resettlement tents provide shelter to more than thirty households here. Due to the earthquake, their own houses have either collapsed or been rendered too dangerous to live in.
SONG YAO, Team Leader, Sichuan Red Cross Psychological Rescue "We actually did some preliminary evaluations and made evaluation forms in Tibetan and Chinese. I tested about 15 families this morning, and their mentality was still very positive. I think it's because they feel the love from all the efforts of the rescue teams."
Amid the chill of winter, supplies from all over the country continue to flow into the disaster zone.
LIU YANG, CGTN Reporter, Dingri County, Qiangga Village "In the aftermath of the earthquake, volunteers and aid agencies are providing psychological counseling for children in different ways. One approach involves using reading and painting to reduce and relieve the fears of young people in the disaster zone. Daily supplies like milk powder and diapers also continue to arrive here, from all over the country. Liu Yang, CGTN Dingri County, Xizang Autonomous Region."