Natural disasters has claimed 1,911 lives this year and caused
direct losses of 151.4 billion yuan (US$18.2 billion), the Ministry
of Civil Affairs revealed Wednesday.
Yang Yanyin, Chinese vice-minister of civil affairs, said the
central government had reinforced disaster relief efforts as the
nation had suffered more than the usual number of natural disasters
this year.
China was jolted by a total of 29 earthquakes above five on
Richter Scale this year in addition to severe insect pest problems
in the north and flooding in the south. Approximately 2.62 million
residential buildings tumbled and damages or cracks were brought to
6.8 million. Over 50.7 million hectares of crops were seriously
affected by various natural adversities. About 6.31 million people
were displaced from their homes.
The central and local governments had made strenuous,
substantial efforts in the disaster alleviation campaign. Since the
beginning of this year, Yang said, the central government had
allocated 2.83 billion yuan (US$340 million) in special funding as
well as 140,000 tents to disaster-affected areas.
In a five-year period from early 1998 to May 2002, the central
and local governments poured 20.7 billion yuan (US$2.5 billion)
into natural disaster relief funds, covering around 200 million
people.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs released the information to mark
the 14th International Day for Disaster Reduction.
(Xinhua News Agency October 8, 2003)