A new round of relief materials purchased with money donated by people in Hong Kong was sent to three flood-hit townships of Zhaoping County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The relief materials, worth a value of 710,000 yuan (about US$85,542), including 60 tons of rice, 4,000 cotton quilts and 8,000 pieces of clothes, were on Saturday distributed among local residents in Beituo, Jiulong, and Fuluo townships, which were the worst hit by floods in Zhaoping County.

Jackie Lee, chairman of Lotus Light Charity Society (Hong Kong), also led a 28-member delegation and visited the three above-mentioned areas on Saturday, bringing along with them the relief materials.

"We are all descendants of 'Dragon' and are brothers and sisters. Compatriots in Hong Kong have showed great concern about the serious floods in Guangxi last month and feel it is incumbent on us all to help when our siblings are in difficulty," said Lee.

Severe floods hit many areas in Guangxi from June 18 to 27, with 8 million people in 69 areas being affected and incurring 7.07 billion yuan (about US$852 million) in direct economic losses. Among all, Zhaoping County was the worst hit by the flooding which destroyed houses and left 16,000 residents homeless.

Before this, Oxfam Hong Kong, another Hong Kong-based charity and rescue organization, also donated relief materials worth 349,000 yuan (about US$42,048) to the same county early this month.
 
(Xinhua News Agency July 18, 2005)