China allocates 916 million yuan for flood and drought relief

Chinese authorities have allocated 916 million yuan (about $126 million) to flood and drought response work in the country's southern and northern regions, and to support disaster relief efforts, the Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday.

The figure includes 499 million yuan to support flood control, relief efforts and safety measures in Guangdong, Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan and Hubei.

A total of 417 million yuan is being provided to support Hebei, Shanxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi and Gansu in their water conservancy and drought relief efforts.

Entering June, several provinces in China initiated or upgraded their emergency responses for flooding after experiencing intense downpours and rising river levels. 

Torrential rains have inundated parts of China's Fujian Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Guangdong Province, triggering severe flooding. 

China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Wednesday raised the emergency response for flooding in Guangxi from Level IV to Level III, while the emergency flood control responses for flooding in Guangdong and Fujian continue to enforce Level IV.

Urgent shipments of disaster relief supplies, including emergency kits and tents, have been dispatched to the provinces to provide comprehensive support for local resettlement and relief efforts for those affected by the floods.

Meanwhile, scorching heat is baking central and northern China, with many national weather stations registering record-breaking daily high temperatures.

China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs activated a Level-III emergency response to drought in Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong and Henan on Monday.

The ministry called for closer monitoring of the drought situation, the scientific allocation of water resources, and timely cloud seeding operations to combat the drought and ensure successful summer sowing.

China has a four-tier emergency response system for both drought control and flood control, with Level I being the most severe.

For more:

Emergency response to flooding initiated in 3 Chinese provinces

China implements measures for harvest amid severe drought in central and northern regions

(With input from Xinhua)