(TibetanReview.net, Feb21’19) – At least 12,931 households, with 58,289 residents, had been affected by a prolonged devastating snow disaster in Yushu (Tibetan: Yulshul) Prefecture of Qinghai Province, accounting for roughly 14% of the local population, as of Feb 19 evening, reported China’s caixinglobal.com Feb 20.
Around 21,000 livestock animals had been reported dead, while 68,800 animals could “hardly find food”, the report cited China’s Ministry of Emergency Management as saying in an interim report.
The situation was reported to have caused an estimated financial loss of 65.28 million yuan ($9.66 million) so far.
The report noted that over 98% of local residents in the prefecture were Tibetans, with animal husbandry being a major revenue and livelihood source for them.
The ministry was stated to have allocated 65 million yuan for the rescue efforts.
It was earlier reported by China’s official Xinhua news agency Feb 9 that snowstorms lasting for days had hit all the one city and five other counties in Yushu Prefecture. Roads in many areas of the Tibetan Prefecture were reported to be covered under snow as deep as 45 centimetres.
