The Norwegian government announced Tuesday that it will provide 2 million Norwegian kroner (about 330,000 U.S. dollars) to help earthquake victims in China's Qinghai province.

Environment and Development Minister Erik Solheim said in a statement that the emergency aid will be channeled through the Red Cross Society of China, which he said has extensive experience with natural disasters.

Solheim said he hopes the aid would do some good for the victims of the strong earthquake that struck the Yushu prefecture and nearby areas on April 14.

The death toll from the earthquake has risen to 2,039. More than 12,000 people were injured in the earthquake that measured 7.1 on the Richter scale. About 100,000 local residents have made homeless by the disaster.