(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-10-26 21:33

BEIJING -- Natural disasters claimed 1,753 lives in China by September this year with 296 people missing, said an official with China's Ministry of Civil Affairs here Friday.

"This year China has gone through many abnormal extreme weather conditions. Downpours and floods hit some regions again and again more seriously than past years, which caused great casualties and property losses," said Pang Chenmin, deputy director of the Department of Disaster and Social Relief under the ministry.

By September, about 360 million people had been affected by natural disasters, 12.01 million of whom were evacuated, he said. Disasters have caused 160.6 billion yuan of direct economic losses. More than 43.3 million hectares of farm land were affected, of which 6.39 million hectares were destroyed.

With the winter drawing near, residents in disaster-hit regions are facing some difficulties though large sums of money have come from the government and non-governmental organizations, Pang said.

Some have not rebuilt their houses yet and may face food and clothing shortages in the winter, he said.

The ministry is launching a nationwide campaign urging people of all walks of life to donate money, clothes and quilt for those in need. The central government has so far allocated 9.35 billion yuan to disaster-affected areas, of which 3.5 billion yuan were living subsidies. The Red Cross Society of China has delivered 150 million yuan worth of funds and materials to the disaster-stricken areas.