Charity donations down, report says

The first half of the year has seen fewer donations to the nation's charities as donors are cash-strapped by record aid to the Wenchuan earthquake victims last year and the financial crisis.

The donations in materials and cash from January to June totaled 13.1 billion yuan ($1.9 billion), according the charity and donation half-year report by the China Charity and Donation Information Center, a non-profit organization affiliated with the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The amount is a big drop compared to the same period last year, which had a total of 61 billion yuan. The total for 2008 was 100 billion yuan, the largest donation total ever in the nation's history.