The Chinese government has earmarked 865 million yuan (US$104.2 million) this month to assist people affected by natural disasters in east China's Anhui and Jiangsu provinces, central Hubei and Hunan provinces, and Shaanxi province in the northwest, a Ministry of Civil Affairs source disclosed Friday in Beijing.

Meanwhile, relevant figures show that the Ministry and Civil Affairs and Ministry of Finance have since early this year dispensed a total of 2.712 billion yuan (US$326.8 million) in disaster relief funds, including 1.419 billion yuan (US$171 million) for flood, earthquake and typhoon relief.

(People's Daily September 20, 2003)