5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake Memoirist

(Community : Disaster News)
Wenchuan Earthquake,

On that day, the Wenchuan earthquake devastated wide swaths of Sichuan Province, toppling entire cities and killing nearly 70,000 people. Some of the most heart-wrenching tragedies occurred at schools when classrooms collapsed. In the aftermath, there was destruction, displacement and disbelief.

Mercy Corps responded immediately, sending staff to affected areas within hours of the disaster — and the generous donations of our supporters helped us in so many ways. We delivered truckloads of critical supplies such as water, noodles, milk and shelter items to survivors. We put together kits containing much-needed hygiene and household goods and distributed them to displaced families.

But our most important work was helping young survivors move past the tragedy and shock of loss. Within days of the earthquake, we launched two youth psychosocial programs — Comfort for Kids and Moving Forward — that have helped support and counsel traumatized children. These two programs trained more than 1,600 caregivers, such as teachers and psychologists, who continue serving the needs of thousands of young survivors.