Party membership dues allocated for disaster relief

The Organization Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee has allocated 10 million yuan (1.59 million U.S. dollars), taken from paid membership dues, to fund disaster relief work in nine regions hit hard by recent torrential rains and floods.

The money has been sent to Inner Mongolia and the provinces of Hebei, Jiangxi, Shandong, Hubei, Hunan and Guizhou, as well as the cities of Chongqing and Beijing, to help locals combat flooding and take care of basic necessities, according to a Thursday statement from the department.

The statement encouraged all CPC members and officials to aid in the disaster relief work.

Severe downpours since July 27 have left 76 people dead and 30 missing across China, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Thursday.

As of Aug. 2, flooding, mudslides and windstorms triggered by downpours have affected over 9.25 million people in 23 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, according to the ministry.

Many regions in China, especially areas in the northeast and the southwest, have seen unusually severe downpours this summer. A massive rainstorm left at least 77 people dead in Beijing on July 21.