Society

China says donations all used in disaster relief

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-01-05 21:34

BEIJING - China's Ministry of Civil Affairs detailed Wednesday the way it used the more than 3 billion yuan in disaster relief funds it received in 2010.

According to a circular posted on the ministry's official website, the 3.04 billion yuan ($459 million) it received was allocated to various disaster-hit regions.

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Some 2.8 billion yuan was used for relief work in Yushu, the Tibetan prefecture in northwestern Qinghai Province that was devastated by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake in April. About 2,200 people died in the quake.

Some 1.6 billion yuan of the funds were used by the Qinghai provincial government on 400 post-quake reconstruction projects, said the circular.

The rest of the funds will be used in accordance with the progress of the projects, the circular added.

Some 205 million yuan was used for relief work in mudslide-hit Zhouqu in northwestern Gansu Province.

Some 21 million yuan went to areas affected by the May 12, 2008 quake that devastated Wenchuan of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Minister of Civil Affairs Li Liguo said last month 2010 was one of the worst years for natural disasters for China for 20 years, second only to 2008.

The 8.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Wenchuan of Sichuan Province and affected neighboring Gansu and Shaanxi provinces in 2008 left 87,000 people dead or missing.

Five major mud and rock slides in west China's Guizhou, Gansu, and Yunnan provinces in 2010 left around 2,000 people dead or missing, according to figures from the Ministry of Land and Resources.