Red Cross China HQ raises 22 mln USD for Lushan quake

BEIJING, May 17 (Xinhua) -- The headquarters of the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) has received 135 million yuan (22 million U.S. dollars) in donations for Lushan earthquake victims, according to a statement released Friday.

Of the 135 million yuan worth of money and materials, 15 million yuan has been used in quake relief work, according to a statement from the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA).

The Chinese Red Cross Foundation, a public fund administered by the RCSC, has received 24.3 million yuan in donations and used 10.92 million yuan in quake relief.

The RCSC and 14 other social organizations registered with the MCA reported their Lushan quake donation records to the MCA.

Following the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that shook southwest China's Sichuan Province on April 20, charities and foundations started raising donations.

However, it was reported that the public was hesitant to donate quake-relief money via the RCSC.

The reputation of the RCSC took a major hit in 2011, when a young woman calling herself Guo Meimei used social media to say she was a manager in an organization under the charity and openly flaunted her wealth and extravagant lifestyle.

The scandal triggered public concern about embezzlement within the charity.

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