China earmarks 300 mln yuan to support local authorities' disaster response

BEIJING, June 23 (Xinhua) -- China has earmarked 300 million yuan (about 41.8 million U.S. dollars) of central government funding to support local authorities in dealing with natural disasters and carrying out emergency rescue efforts, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said on Monday.

The funds, allocated by the MOF and the Ministry of Emergency Management, were provided to seven provincial-level regions, including Hunan, Guangdong, Chongqing, Guizhou and Hubei.

The funding support comes as some parts of south China experience heavy rains, leading to severe flooding and geological disasters in certain regions, according to the MOF.

The funds will be used for emergency response and rescue efforts, the evacuation and resettlement of affected people, the removal of hazardous objects, risk mitigation, and risk inspections to prevent secondary disasters, it said. ■