China donates $50,000 to earthquake victims

The Chinese Government has donated $50,000 (Frw27m) to help earthquake victims in the Western Province. According to sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the money will be handed over once the normal documentation procedure is complete. Sunday Times has learnt that the move came after a February meeting in which officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Prime Minister’s Office, diplomats and international organizations discussed how to support the quake victims. “The only thing remaining is for the two sides to sign hand-over papers, which will be done after your Government has finalised the issue of banking account forms,” the Economic and Commercial Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Kigali, Mr. Yi Zonghua confirmed in an interview Thursday. At least 37 people died and over Frw5 billion worth of property destroyed when three earthquakes hit Nyamasheke and Rusizi districts in February. According to a Government report, 643 people were hospitalized as a result with 276 and 367 suffering from physical and psychological trauma, respectively. Three quarters of Bushenge hospital was destroyed while 212 classrooms (accommodating 6,289 children in primary school will have to be rebuilt. 113 need repair. 1,201 households lost their shelter and 36 churches were damaged. Students from affected schools have been transferred to other schools, while about 4,000 plastic sheeting material and 1,201 family kits have been supplied. Tents were also supplied to the most seriously affected primary schools. While a detailed study is needed to assess the exact amount of emergency and rehabilitation costs, the Government report estimates close to Frw6.5 Billion as the amount needed for rehabilitation. The damaged schools in Rusizi District need about Frw1b while 93 primary schools in Nyamasheke District needed about Frw832m for repair and reconstruction. Secondary schools need about Frw1.6b while Frw1.4b is needed to rebuild the houses that were destroyed. The national Disaster Management Unit which operates under the Prime Minister’s Office is coordinating relief efforts at the central level. It works closely with the Disaster Management Task Force (DMTF), composed of people from the central Government and its development partners. Other aid related projects by china According to Yi, China continues to assist Rwanda through several economic development projects. “Of course this donation is a very small matter but it is significant,” he pointed out adding, “Besides that, we have a number of other projects in economic development. Some of them are still in the pipeline,” Yi said. He gave an example of the new building that will house the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which is under construction and would be completed in four months. China also continues to send medical doctors to Kibungo hospital since 1982. It has also promised to send about 10 youth volunteers to work in Rwanda – in cultural, industrial, agricultural and information technology fields. “We are now designing a project called ‘polyclinic’ for a comprehensive hospital in the suburb of Kigali,” the diplomat added. China has also provided grants to build two primary schools in the Eastern and Northern provinces, and will also help set up an agricultural technical demonstration centre in Huye District, Southern Province, he added. “A team of Chinese experts will come into the country for a detailed project study before the end of this month and the construction of the centre will get underway before end of the year,” Yi explained. He added that a new cooperation agreement between China and Rwanda would also be finalized soon. Ends