LHASA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Yeshe and his younger brother could sense a wave of relief as they unloaded around three tonnes of cow dung from their truck in quake-hit Lnaze County in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.
In early January, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Dingri County in the city of Xigaze, claiming 126 lives and leveling thousands of houses. Many surrounding counties, including Lnaze, were also affected.
Situated at an altitude of over 4,000 meters above sea level, the quake zone faces its harshest winter conditions. Locals traditionally rely on cow dung and sheep dung as fuel for cooking and heating.
To support those in need, Saga County, hometown of Yeshe and his brother that is 200 km away from the epicenter of the quake, organized a donation of supplies to quake-affected areas.
The brothers volunteered to join the relief team as transporters.
To date, Saga County has donated more than 13,000 bags of fuel supplies weighing 240 tonnes, including cow and sheep dung.
When receiving the supplies, Chozin, a villager from Lnaze County, felt grateful. "The country and government have always been helping us. Now we are living in board houses with all the necessary supplies," she said.
Xizang will continue to carry out post-disaster relief work, and coordinate temporary and transitional resettlement to ensure a safe and warm winter for quake-affected people, Gama Cedain, acting chairman of the regional government, said on Sunday.
As of Jan. 16, the office of the autonomous region's earthquake relief headquarters had installed 9,525 stoves, distributed over 259,700 quilts and blankets, and transported 759 tonnes of fuel.
Disaster relief did not come from the government alone. Ordinary people, too, are playing their part in sending warmth to the disaster-hit area.
At noon last Tuesday, a supply truck slowly rolled into Qulho Township in Dingri, where villagers rushed to help unload down jackets, shoes and hats.
The driver, Liang Xiaomei, serving as a volunteer, owns a supermarket in Kangmar County in Xigaze. She loaded her truck with two tonnes of food and drove overnight for nine hours to reach the disaster zone.
"I experienced the 8.0-magnitude Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan Province in 2008, and many kind people helped us back then," Liang said. "This time, I must do whatever I can to help."
As of Jan. 15, donations from all sectors of society had totaled around 1.64 billion yuan (about 228.14 million U.S. dollars), and they will be used for the relocation and resettlement of affected communities and for ensuring the provision of basic living necessities. ■