China allocates $175.7 million to disaster-hit areas since start of flood season

(ECNS)— China’s central government has allocated a total of 1.19 billion yuan ($175.7 million) in relief funds to disaster-hit areas since the start of this year’s flood season, the Ministry of Finance said Wednesday.

Affected by El Niño and the passage of typhoons, China has experienced unusually frequent and extreme weather events this year. The country has so far recorded 18 large-scale heavy rainfall events and 25 severe convective weather events, with serious flooding and other disasters reported in some regions.

At a press conference held by the ministry, officials said financial, personnel and material support had been strengthened for disaster prevention, mitigation and relief efforts.

Xing Chaohong, deputy director-general of the Department of Natural Resources and Ecological Environment at the Ministry of Finance, said the central government had set aside 20 billion yuan in natural disaster relief funds for 2026.

Since the start of the flood season, the central government has activated its mechanism for the rapid approval and allocation of relief funds eight times, distributing a total of 1.19 billion yuan to affected areas.

An additional 14.5 billion yuan has been allocated through channels including agricultural disaster prevention and mitigation funds, water conservancy disaster relief funding, support for key transportation projects and central-budget investment.

The Ministry of Finance has also supported the reserve of emergency supplies for basic living assistance, flood control and drought relief, as well as forest and grassland fire prevention and suppression.

By mid-July, emergency supplies held in reserve were valued at 3.418 billion yuan. Since the beginning of the year, relevant authorities have urgently dispatched 538,400 items of emergency supplies worth 145 million yuan to disaster-hit areas. 

China is currently in the critical flood-control period from mid-July to mid-August. The ministry said it would strengthen coordination with emergency management, water resources, agriculture and transport authorities to help local governments safely manage the flood season.

(By Helen Mo, intern Wu Jingjing)