China aids 855m disaster victims in 10 years

BEIJING - About 855 million people affected by natural disasters have received assistance from the government over the last decade, according to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Emergency aid and reconstruction for major natural disasters that occurred over the last decade has been completed, the ministry said Saturday, which is also the 23rd International Day for Disaster Reduction.

Government investment in disaster reduction allowances jumped from 2.4 billion yuan (about $390 million) in 2002 to 8.6 billion yuan last year, officials with the ministry said.

The amount of the allowances was also raised during the period, with those who lost their homes due to natural disasters receiving 10,000 yuan per household, up from 300 yuan per household, the ministry said.

The government also established 18 storage depots for relief supplies, with a network of depots extended to the township level, the ministry said.

Multiple droughts, earthquakes and floods have hit several parts of China over the last decade, including severe earthquakes that struck Sichuan and Qinghai provinces in 2008 and 2010, respectively.