FACTBOX: Earthquake aid for China

Mon May 19, 2008 6:08pm EDT
 
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(Reuters) - China began three days of national mourning on Monday for more than 30,000 victims of a devastating earthquake that struck southwest Sichuan province a week ago.

The official death toll from the 7.9 magnitude quake, the worst to hit China in three decades, stands at nearly 32,500. China says it expects it to exceed 50,000.

Here are some of the aid pledges to date:

CHINA:

- 10.4 billion yuan (almost $1.5 billion). Total includes 7.5 billion yuan ($1 billion) cash, 1.4 billion yuan ($200 million) in aid materials and 1.5 billion yuan ($214 million) from a televised gala on Sunday night.

- Sports star and Houston Rockets centre Yao Ming gave two million yuan ($214,000) and half a million yuan to the Red Cross Society of China.

- Hong Kong: HK$300 million ($38 million) from the government. HK$30 million from the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

- Macau: 100 million yuan ($14.3 million) from the government and 10 million yuan from the Macau Foundation.

COUNTRIES AND REGIONS:

- Albania: $40,000.

- Australia: A$1 million ($0.95 million) to Red Cross for tents, blankets, water purification tablets and medical supplies.

- Belgium: 650,000 euros ($1 million).

- Britain: 1 million pounds ($1.95 million).

- Canada: C$1 million (about $1 million) through Red Cross.

- European Commission: 2 million euros ($3.10 million)

- France: 130,000 euros ($195,000) of relief materials, on top of initial cargo plane that carried 250,000 euros (about $386,000) worth of materials to Chengdu.  Continued...

 
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