As China marks its second National Disaster Prevention Day on May 12, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has purchased 230 tonnes of vegetable oil and 50 tonnes of fried barley flour to be distributed to survivors of the earthquake that struck Yushu in Qinghai Province on 14 April 2010.

WFP China Director Anthea Webb said, "WFP is tremendously impressed by the Chinese government's rapid response and people' s generosity towards survivors of the earthquake."

"We aim to complement the help already provided by making sure people have the nutrition they need to survive and the strength they require to rebuild their communities over the next three months," Webb said.

WFP will work with the Qinghai Provincial Bureau of Civil Affairs to provide enough vegetable oil for 125,000 people for 72 days.

In coordination with the Qinghai Bureau of Health and the United Nations Children's Fund, WFP will provide 1,800 children, aged from 6 to 36 months, with a supplementary ration of vegetable oil and fried barley flour for the coming three months.

WFP has received US$450,000 million from the UN' s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for this operation.

All of the food was purchased in China from local companies such as China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO) and Yulan Coarse Cereals Company from Gansu Province, which reacted swiftly to WFP's call for suppliers.

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Each year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries.

(Xinhua News Agency May 12, 2010)