The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
(HKSAR) has approved three grants totaling 5.8 million Hong Kong
dollars (US$742,000) for emergency relief to flood victims on the
mainland.
An allocation of 2 million Hong Kong dollars has been approved
for World Vision Hong Kong to help flood victims in Henan
Province.
Another grant of 790,000 Hong Kong dollars has been approved for
Oxfam Hong Kong to help flood victims in Yunnan and Hunan
provinces.
A further grant of 3 million Hong Kong dollars has been approved
for Hong Kong Red Cross to help those in Henan, Yunnan, Hunan and
Guangxi.
The Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee recommended that the
HKSAR government approve the grants of the three organizations. The
committee expressed the hope that the grants will provide immediate
relief to the flood victims.
To ensure that the money will be used for the designated
purposes, the committee will ask the three organizations to submit
evaluation reports and audited accounts on the use of the grants
when the relief projects are complete.
The Disaster Relief Fund was established in December 1993 for
use in emergencies outside of Hong Kong. The Disaster Relief Fund
Advisory Committee is responsible for advising the HKSAR government
on policies and practices regarding the disbursement of funds,
recommending specific amounts for specific recipients, and
monitoring the use of grants.
(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2004)