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Chinese public fear repeat abuse of flood relief funds after it emerges over US$1 billion in aid for 2021 was misused
- Internet users react with anger after its emerged that up to half the money earmarked for Henan province after the 2021 floods was diverted elsewhere
- Reports on the topic circulating extensively online even as rescue operations in the north and northeast of the country were continuing
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Yuanyue Dangin Beijing
Reports that flood relief funds had been siphoned off have sparked anger in China and prompted fears that the same thing may happen again after this month’s devastating floods.
Late last month an audit report by the Henan provincial government documented how about 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) of reconstruction funds earmarked for the 2021 summer flooding in Henan had been misused or siphoned off for other uses by local officials.
The story started spreading quickly online late last week after a commentary on the issue was published by state-run Guangming Daily even as rescue efforts continued in the north and northeast of the country.
More than 30 people have been killed after heavy floods hit Beijing and provinces such as Hebei, Jilin and Heilongjiang last week, with the capital recording its heaviest rainfall in 140 years.
The central government has so far allocated 520 million yuan of relief funds to the worst hit regions.
The 2021 summer flooding in Henan, which killed almost 400 people, caused a nationwide uproar because of the heavy death toll and a poor emergency response by local officials.
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