The United Nations' disaster reduction chief Tuesday praised the
swift and effective action by the Chinese government in the face of
the country's worst snow disaster for decades.
China swiftly put into play an emergency plan amid its worst
winter weather in almost half a century, said Salvano Briceno, the
director of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
(ISDR), in a statement.
Its government has done a good job in actively mobilizing all
resources to satisfy the needs of the more than 100 million people
affected by the heavy snow, which cut off power and water supplies
and stranded millions trying to get home for the Lunar New Year, he
said.
Drastic climate changes, the accelerated process of urbanization
and deteriorating environment have complicated disasters throughout
the world which are affecting more and more people, especially
those living in poverty, Briceno said.
It's time for more efforts by the international community to
eliminate the threats posed by extreme weather, he said, adding
that governments of all nations should gear themselves up for such
threats and boost their capacity to fight natural disasters.
(Xinhua News Agency February 7, 2008)
