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HK adds $1.46 for mainland drought relief

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-04-12 16:40
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HONG KONG:The Hong Kong government Monday approved three more grants totaling HK$11.4 million (US$1.46 million) to relieve drought victims in the Chinese mainland.

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The grants come on the back of an earlier disbursement of HK$124.2 million to Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan by 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 in the mainland to HK$135.6 million.

A spokesman for the government said Monday 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 organizations for grants to provide relief to the drought victims more expeditiously.

"It is hoped that the grants -- one of HK$6.74 million to The Salvation Army, one of HK$3.42 million to The Amity Foundation and one of HK$1.24 million to The Association of Chinese Evangelical Ministry Limited -- will help provide relief to drought victims in Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan.

"To ensure that the money will be used for the designated purposes, the relief agency has been asked to submit an evaluation report and audited accounts on the use of the grant after the relief project has been completed," the spokesman said.