China´s snow-wrecked south faces heavy task of rebuilding

Source: Xinhua | 03-09-2008 16:20

BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- China's southern areas wrecked by January snow havoc are facing a heavy task of rebuilding, though a huge amount of relief fund has been allocated, a top official said on Sunday.

Li Liguo, vice minister of civil affairs, speaks at a press conference on the sideline of the ongoing annual session of the National People''s Congress (NPC), China''s parliament. (Xinhua Photo)

Li Liguo, vice minister of civil affairs made the remarks at a press conference on the sideline of the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's parliament.

"In addition to 1.66 million residents who had been relocated due to house collapse, the government need to provide assistance to more than 17 million people who are suffering shortage of grain and food," Li told reporters.

"We are also facing a very heavy task of rebuilding the damaged houses," he said.

The winter storms that wreaked havoc on the country's central, eastern and southern areas over a month since mid-January have claimed 129 lives, flattened 486,000 houses and damaged another 1.68 million houses, and destroyed about 25 million mu in crops (about 1.67 million hectare), leading to a direct economic loss of151.6 billion yuan (about 20.8 billion U.S. dollars).

To date, the Chinese government has earmarked more than 5 billion yuan for relief and the public have donated more than 1.6 billion yuan, Li said.

Editor:Zhang Ning