In the dark days following the catastrophic 12 May 2008 earthquake, which devastated China`s Sichuan Province, it seemed for many that life could never return to normal. It left 88,000 people dead or missing, nearly 400,000 injured and 5 million homeless.

On 14 May 2008, a baby was saved from the rubble in Deyang of Sichuan Province. The Government of China undertook a massive rescue and relief operation to save lives and address the needs of earthquake survivors.

A volunteer comforts a little girl on 19 May 2008, trying to help her relocate her family in a relocation camp in Mianyang of Sichuan Province. One year after the quake, many volunteers are still in the quake zone helping survivors rebuild their lives.

On 20 May 2008, children and adults queue for food at a relocation camp in Mianyang City, Sichuan Province. A national wave of concern and support materialized immediately after the disaster to meet the urgent needs of survivors.

Working with government counterparts, the UNICEF response was swift and comprehensive. The first major shipment of tents arrived in Chengdu on 19 May 2008.

In the aftermath of the disaster, UNICEF rushed 86 tons of medical supplies to meet the needs of 1.4 million people for 3 months. The kits have been distributed to 13 counties in Sichuan that were worst affected by the earthquake.

UNICEF also provided 20 ambulances to refer patients in Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi to county hospitals.

UNICEF has been supporting local education authorities to get children back to normal schooling. Right after the quake, UNICEF rushed 1,200 school tents, 50,000 sets of children`s clothes, 60,000 student kits, and 2,000 teacher kits to the quake zone.

With a massive outpouring of help from across China and around the world, hundreds of thousands of residents in the worst-affected areas are rebuilding their lives and restoring hope for the future.

Doudou (pseudonym), a girl orphaned by the quake, enjoys a happy time at a Child Friendly Space in Beichuan County, Sichuan Province. One year after the quake, she is bouncing back. "Now she is full of sunshine, riding her bicycle everywhere," said her grandfather.

Working with government counterparts, UNICEF has set up 40 Child Friendly Spaces across the quake zone to provide long-term psychosocial support.

Children also need access to the most significant tool they have to improve their lives in the future, education. UNICEF is working with counterparts to ensure quality education by providing educational supplies, training, and safety education.

A new mother watches her baby resting in an incubator. Working with the Ministry of Health, UNICEF has delivered lifesaving medical equipment and supplies to the earthquake zone and helped rehabilitate healthcare services.

UNICEF is also helping to rehabilitate and construct permanent water supply systems to ensure that children like Luo Yiyun, 10, can have clean piped water both at home and school.

For many thousands of residents of these disaster-struck areas, the memory of last May will never fade. The road to recovery is long, but UNICEF is committed to supporting children and women in the coming years.