China allocates flood relief fund

BEIJING - China's Ministry of Finance (MOF) has earmarked an emergency relief fund of 1 billion yuan ($147 million) to aid local authorities with flood relief and agricultural production restoration.

The money will be allocated to the provincial-level regions of Gansu, Sichuan, Fujian, Shaanxi, Chongqing, Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Jiangxi, Guizhou, Xinjiang, and Zhejiang which are plagued by typhoons and floods.

Local authorities will use the money to rebuild water conservancy facilities; purchase seeds, chemical fertilizer, pesticides, agricultural machinery fuel, and fodder grass; and to dispose of dead livestock and poultry, the MOF said.

The emergency relief fund will also be used for subsidies for disaster-hit farmers in order to maintain social stability, the ministry said.

Since July, severe rainstorms have hit many regions across the country, triggering landslides and floods.