Tens of thousands of people have been killed or injured by the devastating earthquake that struck south west China on 12 May. Many more have lost their homes and the death toll continues to rise.

The epicentre of the 7.9 magnitude quake was Wenchuan County in Sichuan Province, with another seven provinces affected. Tremors were felt as far away as the capital Beijing.

A number of heavily populated areas have been badly hit. In the town of Beichuan, 80 per cent of buildings are reported to have collapsed, including several schools, burying children and teachers under piles of rubble. The nearby town of Mianzhu, which has a population of 60,000, was also seriously affected. Roads and communication lines have been severely disrupted, and heavy rains are forecast, which will further complicate rescue efforts.

Soon after the earthquake struck, volunteers from the Red Cross Society of China were on the ground distributing emergency relief to the survivors. But as the situation continues to unfold, more help is urgently needed to prevent further loss of life.

People need food, clean water and shelter to help them survive the immediate aftermath of the quake.

The Red Cross is working around the clock to reach those most in need.

For information of how you can help click here

As many as five million people have been evacuated in China, which is experiencing some of its worst flooding in more than 50 years. And the continuous monsoon rains and cyclones have caused misery right across the continent including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal, affecting some of the poorest populations in the world. Flash floods and landslides have destroyed thousands of villages, huge swathes of farmland and vital roads.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is providing emergency relief to all the affected countries. Volunteers are delivering food, water and basic healthcare to thousands of families who have lost everything in the floods.

A British Red Cross team is currently working in Pakistan to prevent the outbreak of disease from poor sanitation as a result of the flooding.

Funds raised from this appeal will help those most in need. Please give what you can today. The Asia Floods Appeal will cover past, present and near future flooding events in numerous countries throughout the continent, including those currently affected and those potentially affected in the future.

How to give:

Make a secure online donation by credit or debit card here
Text FLOODS and the amount you would like to donate to 64483 to make a donation via your Paypal account e.g. ‘FLOODS 10′ to donate £10
Give over the phone by calling 0845 054 7201
Send cheques, made payable to British Red Cross Asia Floods Appeal to:

British Red Cross – Asia Floods Appeal
44 Moorfields, London
EC2Y 9AA