Today - literally today - it is estimated that there are thousands of people who have come to the city from Sichuan since 12th May. Not all are refugees, some were anticipatory evacuees - families who had the means to send their child or one or both parents and the child away from Sichuan (probably Chengdu) to friend or relatives in Beijing. And they've begun lives here, temporary or perhaps permanent ones.
It's important to remember that the mentality in the province, even in Chengdu, where the damage was not, comparatively, bad, is one of waiting, minute by minute, for the next movement of the earth.
This morning I thought of post-traumatic stress. Not in the context of nuclear families affected by the Tragedy, but those who escaped relatively unscathed. I've read that there are huge issues of guilt, worthiness to have survived, sleeplessness, ongoing fear of the future and much more that needs to be addressed. Yet, the mental health system is overtaxed and may not be able to accomodate such families for a long time. So, there is a further anticipated exodus of this population to cities most probably outside of the province which, of course, will have long-term negative effects for Sichuan.
Looking back on the events of the past week, the one that that stands out to me as stunning was China's immediate rescue response. 220 MINUTES after the earthquake struck, there were rescue troops in the air and on the ground. This is not only world-class but truly mind-boggling.
Today we coordinated all of the complicated timings for tomorrow and purchased around 15 cases of what I discussed in too much detail yesterday.
Also today, Hu Jintao visited Wenchuan County, Sichuan, and addressed a class at a school. He wrote several lines on a chalkboard:
All to help
Rely on ourselves
Work hard
That really sums up the positive attitude here in a very powerful way.
Also, in a very nice touch today, Dr. Allam, Egypt's Ambassador to China, came to Sichuan just to meet with newly-orphaned kids. And he brought gifts, which was cool, and spent a LOT of time with the kids, which was even cooler.
I am sure that for the people in China today who have been displaced by the earthquake, just as is and was the case for people fleeing war and persecution anywhere in the world, an element of divine intervention exists in their ability to survive and find a safe place. For today's refugees from Sichuan, the following passage from Exodus rings true;
"The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire." - Exodus, 13. 21
ANS
