Episcopal Relief and Development is providing emergency assistance to communities in China affected by severe winter weather. From mid-January to the end of the month, southern China experienced the largest snow fall and most damaging ice storms of the past 30 years. Millions of people were impacted across the heavily populated region of the country.

In 17 provinces, the storms caused 150,000 houses to collapse, severely damaged over 600,000 others, destroyed nearly 7 million hectares of crops and killed countless livestock. Coinciding with the beginning of Chinese New Year, the most important holiday of the year, the inclement weather stranded tens of millions of people who were trying to return home for their annual visit to celebrate the holiday.

Episcopal Relief and Development’s partner in China, the Amity Foundation, an independent Chinese Christian voluntary organization, is responding to the most severely affected areas. With the support of Episcopal Relief and Development, Amity is distributing rice and bedding to homeless families.

“The number of people impacted by this disaster is astounding,” says Julie Petrie, Program Officer for Asia at Episcopal Relief & Development. “It is critical to provide for basic necessities as people begin the hard work of returning their lives to normal.”

To help people affected by severe weather in China, please make a donation to Episcopal Relief and Development’s “Emergency Relief Fund” online at http://www.er-d.org/ , or call 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can be mailed to: Episcopal Relief and Development “Emergency Relief Fund” P.O. Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058.