Finland will assist China due to the disastrous earthquake

Press release 169/2008
16 May, 2008

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen made today a decision to grant EUR 500,000 in response to the emergency appeal the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, IFRC, launched due to the earthquake in China, to be administered through the Finnish Red Cross.

The IFRC launched on 15 May an appeal for EUR 12.4 million in order to support the emergency measures of the Chinese government and the Chinese Red Cross for delivering shelters, water, medical assistance and food to the victims of the earthquake. The number of inhabitants in the area estimated to be the worst affected is over a million, and more than 100,000 people have been injured.

The assistance is granted from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ allocations for humanitarian assistance. With help of the assistance the Finnish Red Cross will make relief supply acquisitions.

Additional information: Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ossi Martikainen, tel. +358 40 592 6769, Director Ulla-Maija Finskas, Unit for Humanitarian Assistance, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +359 400 431 921, or Counsellor Timo Karmakallio, tel. +358 40 727 5487