Quake victims in a tent in Dujiangyan city, which is among the worst hit areas. More tents are needed urgently to provide shelter to the survivors.

People should guard against Internet fraud while donating for the quake victims, Pang Chenmin, an official of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, warned yesterday.

The ministry has received reports of people being duped by Net frauds, he said at a press conference in Beijing yesterday.

That's why the ministry and other government departments responsible for disaster relief and donations have asked people to donate only through official channels.

Those responsible to collect donations at the national level are the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Red Cross Society of China and the China Charity Association.

At the local level, people can donate through channels designated by the civil affairs departments.

They can donate directly, too, to the three hardest-hit provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu, where the provincial governments have set up special agencies.

Pang has asked social groups and websites that have already collected donations to send them to the proper agencies immediately so that they can reach the victims.

Thanking the international community for its help, Pang said: "We express our sincere gratitude for their contribution."

To ensure that relief materials and donations are distributed efficiently, the ministries of Civil Affairs and Foreign Affairs have cooperated to set up a fast-track to carry supplies from home and abroad both to the quake-hit areas.

A green channel has been created at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, where all foreign relief materials are being collected, to offer a 24-hour distribution network.

"Foreign relief materials can pass Customs checks in no time and be dispatched to the quake-hit areas," Sheng Guangzu, minister of China Customs, was quoted by the China Central Television as saying.

The State Information Office said that by 1 pm yesterday, China had received domestic and international donations worth 10.834 billion yuan ($1.548 billion).

More tents needed

More tents are needed urgently to provide shelter to the quake survivors in Sichuan province, a senior disaster relief official said yesterday.

"At least 1 million families, who have lost their homes, need a roof over their head," Pang said.

Since it is very hard to make so many tents in a short time, Pang welcomes all kinds of tents, including those used by hikers and travelers, because soon it will be rainy season in the quake-hit areas.

Even many people whose houses have not been damaged don't want to live indoors for fear of aftershocks.

Trains have carried 145,000 tents, or three-fourths of the total, to the quake-hit areas, Wang Yongping, spokesman for the Ministry of Railways told the central government website (www.gov.cn).

(China Daily May 20, 2008)