Dharamsala, August 5 – China has ordered all charities outside Qinghai province to transfer donation money raised for Yushu earthquake relief to government run agencies in the province.
Tibet’s Yushu County (Kyegudo in traditional Tibetan province of Kham) in Yushu prefecture, Qinghai province, was hit by a massive earthquake measuring 6.9 on Richter scale.
A circular jointly released by five central government departments including the Ministry of Civil Affairs has directed 15 national philanthropic organizations to turn over the quake-relief funds to Qinghai civil affairs department, Red Cross Society of China or China Charities Federation in Qinghai.
The circular says the move is meant to better use and trace donations.
China’s National Audit Office puts the total quake-relief money and materials for Yushu from within China and abroad at approximately 10.66 billion yuan ($1.57 billion), out of which nearly 9.84 billion Yuan had not been spent as of July 9.
