China's central government has set aside subsidies of 3.1 billion yuan (US$392 million) for disaster relief and reconstruction work in disaster-hit regions so far this year, an official with China's Ministry of Civil Affairs said Wednesday.

"This year China suffered the most severe natural disasters since 1998," Li Liguo, vice minister of China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, told Xinhua on Wednesday.

Statistics from the Ministry of Civil Affairs show that up to September 11, natural disasters had killed 2,295 Chinese people and left 564 missing.

The disasters caused direct economic losses of 191.8 billion yuan and over 13.2 million people were evacuated and relocated.

Almost 6 million houses were severely damaged or destroyed.

(Xinhua News Agency September 13, 2006)