Approximately 4:19am PP initial team arrives safely
PP and Yushu Earthquake Relief is happy to report that an initial team of non-governmental workers, doctors, and a surgeon have arrived in Jiegu/Yushu in conjunction with the Yushu prefecture government. Over the next few days this team will be assessing needs on the ground and communicating back to personnel in the provincial capital of Xining.
Plateau Perspectives will also be sending one more team of doctors to the earthquake zone early tomorrow with the assistance and allowance of the Yushu and Qinghai government.
11:41PM Local Time
PP was excited to get a team off this morning with government help. We have a team that is half way to the earthquake zone with loads of relief supplies. Several first hand reports have said that the government is doing an excellent job of relief efforts in the area. Two local drivers reported that the roads were full with government relief supplies. One very reliable report suggested there were close to 1,500 fully loaded support vehicles in route to Jiegu.
10:36 am Local Time
Plateau Perspectives is meeting with Yushu Foreign Affairs Office today at 12:30. Right now, only a small team from PP has been invited, but we will be working to expand permissions more broadly. Many doctors throughout China who are ready to help, and the first group will be arriving from Sichuan this morning, though they too will be waiting for expanded permissions to procede to Yushu. Right now, the best ways to help are to spread awareness of how people can give directly through YEQR.com and to donate.
Relief Efforts for 4/15: China Time
At 2am Plateau Perspectives was granted permission to enter the Yushu area. Plateau Perspectives has been asked by the head of the Yushu Prefecture Foreign Affairs Office to come to the quake site as soon as possible to aid in relief efforts. PP will therefore be sending a medical team to Yushu early Thursday to assist and to deliver supplies.
Relief Efforts for 4/14: China Time
Plateau Perspectives and Yushu Earthquake Relief spent much of the day assessing personnel and funds available for immediate response, coordinating among the Xining and broader expatriate communities, seeking official permissions from the Foreign Affairs Office and PSB, as well as buying as many medical supplies as possible. We now have two full truckloads of medical supplies that we are hoping to take to Yushu within the next 12 hours. Needless to say it was and incredibly taxing day for all involved, not least because of the emotional weight of not knowing the condition of many friends and co-workers in the affected area.
