A relief fund of 280 million yuan (US$33.8 million) has been allocated to deluged areas in southwest China's Sichuan Province to help flood victims as torrential rains eased.

Hit by downpours twice this month, eastern Sichuan has reported an economic loss of more than 7.6 billion yuan (US$920 million) so far, according to the Sichuan provincial disaster relief office.

"The final figure should be bigger," an official with the office, revealed.

Four cities in eastern Sichuan took the brunt, including Dazhou, Nanchong, Guang'an and Bazhong, all of which are already poverty-stricken areas.

"We have poured 180,000 yuan (US$21,800) into four seriously flooded villages to help farmers return to normal life," said Wang Linxian, a government official of Tongjiang, a county governed by Bazhong.

The county witnessed three deaths in early September because of the heavy rain, followed by six people missing in a second storm on September 18 to 19.

Most of the work focuses on organizing local people to restore productions and farmwork.

"Each household is encouraged to resume raising poultry and livestock, or growing rice and vegetables," he said.

Wang said the funds available can only safeguard basic living conditions of victims on average, however, a huge amount of money is lacking to restore local agriculture and industry.

"It may take two or three years for the homeless to live a life as good as before," he said.

The county, whose farmers saw an average income of 1,300 yuan (US$157) last year, is currently organizing various forms of donations among local people for a "self-rescue."

According the provincial government, the State has allocated 73 million yuan (U$8.8 million) to support local disaster relief.

More subsidies are expected to come from the central government, and donations from all parts of the country will continue to arrive in the next weeks.

(China Daily September 22, 2004)