英闻天下——619 Relief Supplies Keep Pouring into Sichuan

 　　Additional relief supplies are being sent in to areas hit by Saturday's earthquake in Sichuan.

 
　　Authorities in Shanghai have been sending in raincoats, flashlights and batteries.
 
　　Other relief supplies from other parts of China are also finding their way in.
 
　　Local residents get relief supplies at a distribution site in quake-hit Lushan County of southwest China's Sichuan Province on Monday, April 22, 2013. [Photo: Xinhua]
 
　　The Chinese government has so far turned away offers of international aid, saying it has enough relief supplies on-hand.
 
　　China's Foreign Ministry 1 spokesperson Hua Chunying says there is currently no need for the international community to send aid to China.
 
　　"We appreciate countries from the international community who have offered support and help in all forms for the rescue efforts and relief of China's earthquake. At the same time, we believe there is no need for international aid at the moment, considering that there are already plenty of rescue and medical resources, as well as plenty of relief supplies, especially given that traffic conditions within the disaster zone are not convenient for transport. We will ask for help at the right time if is needed."
 
　　The official death toll 2 from this weekend's earthquake stands at 192.
 
　　23-others are listed as missing.
 
　　The quake has left 12-thousand hurt.
 
　　Meantime, China's central government has put out a call, urging private volunteer groups to stop heading to the earthquake zone in Sichuan.
 
　　The Ministry of Transport has now imposed traffic controls in Lushan County, the epicenter of Saturday's earthquake, to let rescue and relief vehicles in first.
 
　　Roads connecting the most affected 3 areas including Taiping, Longmen and Baosheng are reported to be completely backed up.
 
　　A number of military vehicles carrying relief supplies are also stranded 4.
 
　　The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has dispatched a team to the quake zone to try to prevent disease outbreaks.
 
　　Wang Huaqing is the team leader.
 
　　"In general, the situation is not good because water and power have been disrupted. This affects the health situation. In the short term, intestinal 5 problems may emerge because safe drinking water is in short supply. From a long-term point of view, respiratory infections cannot be excluded, because schools will reopen, and people live in shelters together."
 
　　Authorities are warning people in the disaster zone to be careful when it comes to their food and drinking water.
 
　　So far, there's no report of contamination at major drinking water resources at the region.