Chengdu, China - The second planeload of Indonesian humanitarian aid for earthquake victims in China arrived at Chengdu in Sichuan Province on Saturday.

The relief aid comprised one ton of food, three tons of medicines, and three tons of tents worth US$1.5 million in total. It arrived on board an Hercules cargo plane.

"The humanitarian aid from the Indonesian government to  Chinese people affected by the disaster, reflects our solidarity," Indonesian Ambassador to China Sudrajat said here.

Sudrajat handed over the aid to the local government represented by the deputy director of the Sichuan foreign affairs department, Huang Youming, at Chengdu airport.

It was the second planeload of aid from Indonesia, after the arrival on Friday of a commercial cargo plane carrying 19 tons of food, medicines and tents.

"The government of China has expressed its high appreciation for Indonesia's concern to help victims of the disaster," he said.

When the tsunami hit Indonesia's Aceh province in 2004, China was among the many countries that sent humanitarian aid to Aceh.

He said tents were badly needed by the refugees. "China needs at least one million tents to accommodate refugees. The local government had encouraged tent makers to increase their  production," he said.

In addition to food, medicines and tents, Indonesia would also send a medical team  to help refugees in Lanzhou, Gansu Province.

Nearly 56,000 people have died and about 25,000 are missing in last week's earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 in Sichuan Province in western China.

Sichuan Province's Vice Governor Li Chengyun reiterated earlier on Friday that the most pressing need in the disaster area was for tents.

"We need tents and temporary housing. More than 5 million people affected by the earthquake need proper shelters," he said.

- Source : Antara News Agency, 25 May 2008