Foreign aid to the relief effort continued to flow in over the weekend.

Russia, which was among the first countries to offer aid after the quake, delivered additional supplies on Sunday.

"An Il-76 cargo plane of the Emergency Situations Ministry carrying about 30 tons of disaster relief materials, including blankets and tents that are mostly needed, departed from Ramenskoye near Moscow," the Interfax news agency quoted the ministry as saying.

Another transport plane with urgently needed cargo was scheduled to leave later on Sunday, the ministry said.

Russia has so far sent nearly 400 tons of emergency aid, as well as rescue and medical teams, to Sichuan.

Also on Sunday, an Israeli cargo plane carrying the country's second batch of relief materials headed for China.

The US$1.5 million worth of freight includes, among other things, tents, blankets and water-purifying equipment.

"We would like to send our condolences to the people of China and try to help as far as we can, in order to express the friendship and understanding between our peoples," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said at a ceremony at Ben Gurion international airport before the plane took off.

Zhao Jun, the Chinese ambassador to Israel, thanked the Israeli government and people for their "cordial affection and generous assistance," saying the friendship between the two nations will be carried on from generation to generation.

On Saturday, the Boeing Company and Shenzhen Airlines launched "Flight of Hope" to deliver about 3 tons of medical supplies to victims.

The supplies, which were provided by US Medical Teams International and Mercy Corps, were ferried to China aboard a new Shenzhen Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane.

The supplies will be transferred to a Shenzhen Airlines domestic flight and taken to the disaster area early next week.

Meanwhile, some Singaporean companies and organizations have provided or pledged aid to China after the Singaporean government delivered relief materials worth US$200,000 including gauze masks, tents, sleeping bags and food.

He Jing, president of Temasek Holdings, said the company would provide US$1 million for relief and reconstruction.

Four Singaporean business associations, including the chief clothing industry body, have ordered 500 tents and will transfer them soon to disaster zones.

On Saturday night, Singapore's Tianfu association handed over 200,000 Singapore dollars (US$148,000) in cash to a representative of the Sichuan provincial government.

Malaysia's Hai-O Group, which sells Chinese herbal medicines and healthcare products has encouraged its staff to donate more to add to an earlier donation of 200,000 Ringgit (US$57,000).

The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs' Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Swiss Red Cross are sending about 1,050 tents and four experts to China's quake-hit region, according to the Swiss Embassy to China.

The tents, measuring up to 20 sq m, will provide shelter for 6,000 to 8,000 people. When they arrive in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, this week, they will be given to the Red Cross Society of China whose staff will receive help from the Swiss experts to erect them.

Switzerland is also sending six 56-sq-m multi-purpose tents that can be used as temporary medical dispensaries, schools or storage space.

(Xinhua News Agency May 27, 2008)