China pours over $300m into flood relief efforts

China has allocated over 2.3 billion yuan ($316.4 million) for rescue efforts, emergency supplies, and relocation plans.

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management jointly issued 496 million yuan ($68.7 million) on Thursday.

These funds represent the latest tranche of disaster relief designated for Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangdong provinces, and the Guangxi region, according to CCTV news.

Last week, President Xi Jinping urged authorities to prioritise life-saving efforts as floods and natural disasters intensified.

The relentless downpour has claimed dozens of lives due to floods and landslides, with southern China experiencing the brunt of the disaster. Millions are affected as swollen rivers threaten communities.

Heavy rain across municipalities near the Yangtze River Basin has caused water levels to rise to dangerous levels. In Jiangxi province, authorities warn of potential flooding due to rapidly rising rivers and lakes in the north, while saturated soil in mountainous areas raises landslide concerns, as reported by Xinhua news.

Changsha, the capital of Hunan province, anticipates the Xiang and Laodao rivers to reach their peak and potentially unsafe levels on Thursday morning, according to state media reports.

Earlier this week, heavy rain in southern China transformed roads into raging rivers, submerging pedestrian underpasses and subway tunnels.

Attribution: Reuters