Since the quake struck, tons of international aid and materials have been flowing into Sichuan Province -- clearly displaying the love and care for quake victims from around the world. To make transportation of these relief goods quick and smooth, special personnel have been assigned to handle the entire process of receiving and distribution of the goods.
Villagers queue up to pick up biscuits and cheese donated by Saudi Arabia.
It's Wednesday, May 21st at 2 pm at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. Disaster relief staff are waiting for two cargo planes from Saudi Arabia to arrive. This is the second batch of a total of 300 tons of relief materials pledged by the country.
The flight landed at ten past six in the afternoon. Within five minutes, the inspection and quarantine department got down to work with customs officials beginning their relevant procedures.
Feng Siguang, Inspection and Quarantine Bureau said "It'll take 10 to 20 minutes to release these goods. This is the fastest we can do for emergency approval of relief materials."
She Qiang, Shuangliu Airport Customs said "Normally it has to take a day between the arrival and pick up of goods. But our special procedures for aid materials have shortened this time to within five minutes."
At half past six, the over 60 tons of food, tents and rescue equipment are loaded onto 17 trucks standing by at the airport. A group of staff from Sichuan provincial Civil Affair Bureau is travelling along to monitor the transportation.
The distance from the airport to Xuankou Township is less than a hundred kilometers. However, many parts of the road are blocked by landslides and mudslides triggered by the earthquake. Challenging mountainous paths midway between Dujiangyan City and Xuankou are making transportation difficult. It's necessary for the trucks to travel very slowly most of the time. They are also often stopped by traffic police due to potential dangers ahead.
One traffic police said "A tunnel ahead is collapsing and stones are flying down from the mountains. It's really dangerous. Drivers must focus and try to avoid these dangers."
These emergency relief trips are time-consuming and exhausting. But when the faces of anxiously-waiting locals finally appear in the darkness of the night, everybody realizes that their efforts are extremely worthwhile. The clock points to ten minutes past three in the morning, on May 22nd.
Villagers queue up to pick up biscuits and cheese donated by Saudi Arabia. This food delivery and materials will make it possible for the people in 13 surrounding villages to make their lives a bit easier.
One local villager said "These relief goods are so important for us right now. We're very thankful to those people who are caring for us and supporting us through this earthquake."
For people suffering from the aftermath of the deadly disaster, nothing can be more heart-warming than knowing that -- no matter what happens -- there is always love and care for them from every corner of the world.
(CCTV May 23, 2008)