Chinese online communities volunteer to adopt earthquake orphans news
16 May 2008

Many Chinese netizens, through online communities have realised the gravity of the destruction, caused by a massive earthquake, which hit China this week. Most of the netizens have unanimously come forward and proposed adopting children who were orphaned in the severe earthquake.

The earthquake was the worst hit in China since the Tangshan earthquake in northern Hebei Province in 1976, which claimed 242,000 lives. The tremors were also felt in most parts of the country.

According to Xinhua reports, in regions neighboring Sichuan, 280 were killed in Gansu Province, 106 in Shaanxi Province, 14 in Chongqing Municipality, two in Henan Province, one in Yunnan Province and one in Hubei Province.

Chinese president Hu Jintao and premier Wen Jiabao visited Sichuan to coordinate rescue and relief operations. However it is very difficult to know  at present how many children have lost their parents, the news agency stated.

According to the ministry of civil affairs, many domestic, international organisations and individuals have expressed their concern over the children who lost their parents in the disaster, and have proposed to adopt the orphans.

The Chinese government has appreciated the concern shown  by nations across the globe and  plans to arrange adoptions, once order is gradually being restored in the quake-stricken regions. During such time, the onus is on  local governments to take responsibility for looking after these orphans, according to the news agency report.

The ministry has also asked the local administrations to accommodate these children properly and help them recover from the impact of the quake.


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Chinese online communities volunteer to adopt earthquake orphans