China allocates 1 bln yuan for disaster relief

BEIJING, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- China has earmarked disaster relief funds worth 1 billion yuan (about 139.3 million U.S. dollars) to regions affected by floods, droughts, or crop pests, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said Saturday.

The funds were jointly allocated by the MOF, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Water Resources.

A total of 272 million yuan will go towards drought relief in such regions as Gansu and Shaanxi, while 357 million yuan will be used to help Jilin, Heilongjiang and other provinces combat floods and restore agricultural production, the MOF said.

The remaining funds will be allocated to regions including Jiangxi and Hunan for pest control and prevention, according to the MOF.