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This chapter describes the living conditions and policy needs of the disaster affected population in the Wenchuan earthquake area on the basis of a rapid needs assessment performed two months after the earthquake. The findings showed that housing and employment were the two most urgent issues. Residents who had lost their houses and land in the earthquake were willing to migrate to nearby locations. The majority of people in the earthquake area were quite satisfied with the government, and exhibited a relatively high level of trust. They also exhibited a high level of mutual trust, and proactively participated in the reconstruction of their hometowns. This high level of social capital may contribute to the recovery of the disaster area. The earthquake affected many schools in the disaster area with serious consequences, including the collapse of school buildings, and injuries and fatalities among teachers and students. Keywords: disaster affected population; employment; rapid needs assessment; Wenchuan earthquake area