The Global Summit of Women (GSW) President Irene Natividad called on all delegates attending the GSW due to kick off Hanoi later on Thursday to contribute to a fund designated to help women and girls victimized in China's devastating earthquake and Myanmar's cyclone.
At the opening ceremony of the pre-summit Ministerial Roundtable Thursday morning, Natividad declared the summit has decided to provide an initial contribution of 5,000 US dollars to the All China Women's Federation specifically to help the women victimized in China's earthquake in southwest Sichuan Province.
The 8.0-magnitude quake destroyed so many families in this part of the world, she said.
She added that the summit will further contribute 5,000 dollars to the World Food Program that is distributing food for the victims of the Myanmar cyclone.
Cyclone Nargis occurred over the Bay of Bengal, hit five divisions and states – Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago, Mon and Kayin on May 2-3, of which Ayeyawaddy and Yangon inflicted the heaviest casualties and massive infrastructural damage. The storm has killed 77,738 people and left 55,917 missing and 19,359 injured.
According to Natividad, another 5,000 dollars are being collected from the individual members of the International Planning Committee which is in charge of organizing the annual summit. The money will be equally divided for woman and girl victims in China and Myanmar which were hit by natural disasters.
Ma Xiuhong, vice minister of China's commerce, on behalf of the Chinese government, expressed her sincere thankfulness for the donations from the planning committee of this summit to the Wenchuan quake victims.
