Save the Children, an international charity organization for children's welfare, has allocated 700,000 yuan (US$87,500) of emergency funds to help children in the snow disaster-stricken areas of Altay Prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, said a charity official in Beijing yesterday.

With the support of local civil affairs authorities, Save the Children responded in mid-January to the Altay snow disaster with an initial allocation of 100,000 yuan (US$12,500) emergency fund for children' winter clothing, bedding and coal for heating, herding yurts and houses.

Altay was hit by heavy snowstorms in early January and thousands of people were trapped.

To help children stay away from cold-related illness and injuries, including respiratory illness and frostbite, the organization has distributed 1,300 sets of winter clothing to the most vulnerable children. In addition, 1,300 bedding sets and 250 tons of coal are being distributed to an estimated 500 poor families.

"Although these children are poor, they are really smart and hardworking. If they get our help their future will be brighter," said Aytuna Hisamudin, the organization's staff person.

During Spring Festival, Save the Children also distributed relief items consisting of children's winter clothes, coal and corn to feed the animal herds that are the main livelihood for families in the area.

In Qing He and Fu Yun counties, the two most recently affected areas in Altay, many Kazak herders urgently need heating fuel and animal feed.

According to the information from Qing He's civil affairs bureau, herders in remote pasturing areas are in urgent need of animal feed as the herds of animals fight to dig through the deep snow for food. As a result, thousands of animals have died or are a risk of death from leg injuries.

To date, over 270 tons of corn are being distributed by Save the Children to the county's animal husbandry office, herding stations and then to affected herding families in remote pasturing locations.

Officials with Save the Children said the organization will work with local civil affairs authorities to continue monitoring the situation and investigating how to further protect children and families.

Set up in 1919, Save the Children has established programs in over 60 developing countries to work for children's welfare.

(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2006)