BEIJING - The Chinese government and a Hong Kong-based charity foundation on Friday pledged another 100 million yuan ($15 million) to provide free treatment for the country's impoverished children with cleft lips and cleft palates.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Li Ka Shing Foundation will each inject 50 million yuan into the second phase of a joint program aimed to cure children with cleft lips and cleft palates and related facial deformities, according to an agreement signed Friday by the two sides.

Cleft lips and palates refer to abnormal facial development characterized by a "split lip" or a hole in the roof of the mouth. Such deformities can also affect other parts of the face and lead to speaking difficulties.

In China, many impoverished families do not have the money to pay for adequate treatment.

While the program will mainly cover children under the age of 18 from impoverished families, adults lacking the necessary finances may also apply, said the agreement, without providing further details.

In addition to free surgery and rehabilitation treatment, the project has also organized a language training team for those suffering cleft lips and palates.

The project, initiated in April 2008, had treated more than 13,000 children with cleft lips and palates as of April 2010.