BEIJING - China has earmarked 40 million yuan (about $5.57 million) from the central government funding to support emergency rescue and disaster relief efforts in Hainan and Guangdong provinces as well as Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said on Sunday.
The funding support came as Typhoon Wutip brought heavy rains and caused floods in parts of the southern region, the ministry said in a statement.
The funds, allocated by the MOF and the Ministry of Emergency Management, will be used for the evacuation and resettlement of affected people, the removal of hazardous objects and risk mitigation, as well as inspections on the risks of secondary disasters, it said.
Multiple authorities convened on Saturday to put in place precautionary measures against Typhoon Wutip, as the first typhoon of the year made its first landfall on Friday evening in Dongfang city in Hainan. It then made a second landfall around noon on Saturday in Leizhou city, Guangdong, located just north of Hainan.
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According to the office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, Typhoon Wutip is expected to trigger sustained, widespread and intense winds and rainfall, significantly increasing the risk of disasters. It urged relevant departments and local governments to remain on high alert.
The office has dispatched three working teams to Hainan, Guangdong and Guangxi to guide disaster prevention efforts. Additionally, over 3,000 personnel from local firefighting units have been deployed to the frontlines.
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The Ministry of Emergency Management has mobilized emergency rescue forces and aircraft in preparation for potential disasters.
Due to heavy rainfall caused by the typhoon, the Ministry of Water Resources has activated a Level-IV emergency response to flooding in Zhejiang province on China's eastern coast. The ministry has also urged local authorities to closely monitor weather changes and utilize water conservancy infrastructure to safeguard lives and property.
