Social donations spike when severe disasters occur, statistics show

The amount of social donations went up as natural disasters occurred, according to statistics released by the top civil affairs authority on Tuesday.

Last year, the total amount of social donations, including cash and relief materials, was 56.6 billion yuan ($9 billion), of which 81 percent was collected from non-governmental channels. This was slightly lower than that of 2012 (57.3 billion yuan), the statistics show.

Xu Jianzhong, deputy head of social welfare and donations from the ministry, said the donations went up when severe natural disasters occurred, according to a report in China Youth Daily.

The statistics showed that the donations increased greatly in 2008, exceeding 74.5 billion yuan, a record high, mainly because a devastating earthquake hit Wenchuan, Sichuan province. And 2010 witnessed the second-highest donations after an earthquake hit Yushu in Gansu province.

However, when the scandal over Guo Meimei erupted in 2011 — she identified herself as a manager for a company she said was affiliated with the Red Cross Society and flaunted her luxurious lifestyle online – donations fell to the lowest in five years, to 49 billion yuan.