Public donations for China's snow-hit areas have reached 1.53
billion yuan (214 million U.S. dollars), the Ministry of Civil
Affairs said on Thursday.
The donations include cash and goods donated to the ministry,
the Red Cross Society of China and the China Charity Federation, as
well as provinces devastated by heavy snow and freezing rain since
mid-January.
The donations have been used in disaster relief and the
rebuilding efforts in these affected provinces, the ministry
said.
The month-long bad weather has affected 21 provinces, killing
more than 100 people and causing direct economic losses worth of
111.1 billion yuan (15.4 billion U.S. dollars).
(Xinhua News Agency February 22, 2008)