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The Government has approved three more grants totalling $11.4 million from the Disaster Relief Fund for three relief organisations to undertake relief projects for drought victims in Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan Province/Region.
The grants are further to a disbursement of $124.2 million made earlier for the government authorities of Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan Province/Region, The Amity Foundation and World Vision Hong Kong to provide emergency relief to victims affected by the drought. It takes the total value of grants for drought victims on the Mainland to $135.6 million.
A spokesman for the Government said today (April 12) that this had been made possible under a fast-track mechanism set up on the advice of the Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee for the Government to process applications from relief organisations for grants to provide relief to the drought victims more expeditiously.
"It is hoped that the grants - one of $6.74 million to The Salvation Army, one of $3.42 million to The Amity Foundation and one of $1.24 million to The Association of Chinese Evangelical Ministry Limited - will help provide relief to drought victims in Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan Province/Region.
"To ensure that the money will be used for the designated purposes, the relief agencies have been asked to submit evaluation reports and audited accounts on the use of the grants after the relief projects have been completed," the spokesman said.
Ends/Monday, April 12, 2010
Issued at HKT 12:43
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