How bad is this earthquake?

More than 25 percent of the deadliest earthquakes on record have been in China, from the Shansi quake in 1556 which killed 830,000 to the Tangshan earthquake in 1975, measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale in which 270,500 died.
At 7.9 Wenchuan is stronger than the Tangshan quake. But in terms of population density this is a very different area with fewer people. Most damage has been caused by collapsing buildings.

How many children have been killed in this quake?

By Saturday May 17 the national death toll from the earthquake rose to 28,881 and 198,347 people were injured according to the latest government statistics. We don't have separate figures for child deaths.

How many people have been left homeless by this quake?

4.8 million.

What is Save the Children doing to reunite children with their parents?

Save the Children is supporting the government's efforts to trace children's parents through child-friendly spaces the charity is setting up in up to four prefectures.

How many children are orphaned by this quake?

We are not yet sure of total numbers though we expect the figure to be more than 1000.

What is Save the Children doing to help children orphaned by this quake?

Save the Children is supporting the government's efforts to trace children's extended family members to ensure that all avenues of family care have been exhausted before looking into orphanages. The best place for a child is with its family and institutional care should only be a last resort.

How many schools were knocked down by this quake?

It is reported that close to 7000 schools collapsed and 6898 classrooms were destroyed.

Why did so many schools collapse? Does it indicate that schools are badly constructed?

According to Jiang Weixin, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction, buildings meeting local standards were simply not strong enough to withstand the power of a 7.9 magnitude earthquake. More than 4 million houses collapsed or were damaged in Sichuan province, with another 700,000 affected in neighbouring Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. In the most affected areas, 60-80% houses collapsed, including many schools. It was because the earthquake happened during school hours that so many children were buried.

Why were children affected so badly?

The earthquake struck in mid afternoon. Fewer people were in their homes, but children were in school and other institutions, including hospitals.

Is Save the Children allowed to work in the disaster area?

Yes. We closely work with local Red Cross to sort out the best way we can help. But we do believe that the government needs to coordinate the relief work. With so many people, troops and organizations, they need to make sure that the most urgent needs are fulfilled first, and efforts are not duplicated. Although the roads to epicentre are now cleared there are still strong aftershocks and landslides, and access to the worst-hit areas is very limited.

What will you do for the children?

Save the Children will work with those who have been rescued, providing hygiene kits, a safe temporary shelter for young children including orphans and those separated from their parents. Using the experience we gained in the Tsunami and other disasters, we will work with the local Red Cross and Chinese authorities to create centres that can provide children with a safe, warm and comfortable environment while work to trace their parents progresses.

Why are you leaving this to the government?

The rescue work is primarily done by Chinese troops because it needs huge manpower and machinery. We are working closely with the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the local Education Bureau assessing the needs of children. The government has a good history of coping well in disasters. More than 130,000 troops, armed police and fire fighters have been dispatched into the quake-hit areas. The government has so far allocated 3.41 billion RMB to the disaster response.

Have the Chinese people given money to help?

Public donations in both cash and goods rose to 3.175 billion RMB as of 4 pm Friday 16th May, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. It has authorized the Red Cross Society of China and China Charity Federation to receive donations for quake-hit areas. China's education sector has received more than 130 million RMB in private donations for repairs and rebuilding in quake-hit areas.

Are Chinese authorities allowing international agencies to help in the area?

The Chinese authorities have welcomed international support. Foreign rescue teams from Japan, Russia, South Korea and Singapore have already arrived in Sichuan and Beijing has accepted offers of help from Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Has Save the Children heard any reports of forced adoption of the earthquake's orphans?
No. We have heard that China's vast online community has swamped internet forums with offers to take in orphans. And numerous overseas organisations have also been inquiring about adopting earthquake children. The government has made clear that it will delay any adoptions until there has been plenty of time to trace earthquake victims and reunite parents and children.