Days of heavy rain have caused flooding and landslides in southern China, affecting 39 million people and forcing hundreds of thousands to leave their homes. Many families are also struggling to save their livelihoods.

Twelve-year-old Xioa Cheng surveys the damage to his family’s maize crop. “After the floodwater ebbed away, we immediately rushed to the maize field to see whether there was any undamaged crop to pick,” he says.

Cheng and his older sister tried their best to rescue the soaked maize, harvesting as much as possible. They carefully checked every piece of maize, hoping to find some which was not rotten. Most ears were moldy and smelly and couldn’t be eaten.

Fields destroyed

The rain which destroyed his crop began pelting down the last week of June. Its impact quickly spread across China’s south. In Cheng’s village, maize planting is the main source of food and income for the local farmers. Most maize fields were ripe for harvest when the floods came.

The boy did not feel afraid because he had faced disastrous floods several times in his life. “My father taught us ‘not to be waited on hand and foot’. Even if the maize is destroyed, we can plant it again.”

Looking at the rotten maize field, however, Cheng could not help sighing. “All the maize has turned moldy and is no longer suitable for food consumption. We can only feed the pigs.”

Impact on children

World Vision’s Regional Vice President Watt Santatiwat points out that the flood affects children like Chen in a variety of ways.  “We must not grow accustomed to the fact that floods force children to evacuate their homes, affect school attendance, and erode family income.”

World Vision is starting relief operations for more than 5,000 people, giving one-month rice supplies totaling nearly 80,000 kg.  Since children badly need normalcy and routine during times of upheaval, World Vision will distribute 50 kits for children filled with school supplies and other goods.  A proposal has been submitted to the Hong Kong government, for funds to purchase rice for another 41,000 people.

More rain is expected in August.