BEIJING, May 16 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Today, the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in China Mr Khalid Malik formally informed the Chinese Government that the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) would allocate, through the UN system in China, at least US$ 5 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to augment relief assistance underway by the UN system. These funds would be used to support UN agencies in their relief efforts and be closely coordinated with the Government response.
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The UN system in China is deeply saddened by the loss of life and destruction of property suffered by the people of Sichuan Province in China and has been in close contact with the Chinese Government to offer UN material assistance and technical expertise to help in the rescue and recovery efforts following Monday's devastating earthquake. In addition to the above, UN agencies in China including UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), UN Development Program (UNDP), UN World Food Program (WFP), World Heath Organization (WHO), and UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are mobilizing contributions both in cash and in kind including ready-to-eat food, shelter materials, health as well as reproductive health and sanitation supplies. The UN system in China stands ready to further support the Government's efforts to provide relief assistance to the victims of this tragedy as well as to assist longer-term rehabilitation and reconstruction in affected areas.
About UNDP China:
UNDP fosters human development to empower women and men to build better lives in China. As the UN's development network, UNDP draws on a world of experience to assist China in developing its own solutions to the country's development challenges. Through partnerships and innovation, UNDP works to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and an equitable Xiao Kang society by reducing poverty, strengthening the rule of law, promoting environmental sustainability, and fighting HIV/AIDS. Web site: http://www.undp.org.cn .