A national Vagrants Relief and Management System was launched in
more than 400 rescue and aid centers across China on Monday
morning, announced Li Liguo, vice minister of Civil Affairs.
The system is intended to establish a new relief platform that
connects the Ministry of Civil Affairs, local departments and aid
centers, providing aid to vagrants, especially children and the
disabled, and to prevent abuses of the welfare system.
Among the 1026 aiding centers in China, more than 400 centers
run at township-level and above have joined the system.
The system's integrated database will include information
including a vagrant's age and reasons for applying for aid. It is
hoped that this will help to prevent relief fraud.
The system also creates a platform for exchange and cooperation
between aid centers, in particular, cross-province cooperation to
help street children, the disabled and senior citizens.
Information about missing people will also be posted on the
system website: www.jiuzhunet.net.
The Ministry of Civil Affairs estimates that there are about
150,000 homeless children in China, and over 80 percent of them are
from underdeveloped rural areas.
(People's Daily, translated by Li Shen August 9,
2005)