New York  - China on Friday asked the international community for 33.4 million dollars for a first phase of recovery programmes for areas stricken by the devastating earthquake in Sichuan province.

The appeal was worked out by UN agencies based in China for mid- to-long-term assistance plans aimed at rebuilding the lives of earthquake victims, by paying for shelters, water and sanitation, health and nutrition, education and protection of vulnerable groups and the environment.

The 9.0-magnitude earthquake on May 12 struck a vast area north of Sichuan's Chengdu capital, killing 69,197 people and injuring more than 370,000. China said there were still 18,377 missing people.

China estimated the damage to infrastructure, buildings and businesses at 86 billion dollars, while millions of people still need assistance to return to a normal life.

More than 230 million dollars had already been raised by the international community to assist Sichuan.

Friday's appeal may be followed by a long-term package of requests by Beijing after it has identified its needs, China said at UN headquarters in New York. (dpa)