The Disaster Relief Fund issued $348.93 million in aid in the 2008 financial year.

The Government made four grants totalling $305.1 million to the Disaster Relief Headquarters and other government authorities on the Mainland to undertake relief projects for Sichuan earthquake victims.

Assistance was also given through 15 relief projects operated by six organisations to help people affected by calamities.

A grant of $1.29 million was approved for relief of snowstorm victims in Guangxi and Yunnan in April last year, while eight grants totalling $28.74 million were made for relief of earthquake victims in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi in May to August.

In May to June, three grants totalling $6.19 million were made for cyclone victims in Myanmar, of which a grant of $630,000 was not taken up by one of the applicants of its own accord.

In September three grants totalling $4.91 million were made for Indian flood victims. In March this year a grant of $2.7 million was made for victims of the Kenyan food crisis.

Relief organisations receiving grants from the fund need to submit evaluation reports and audited accounts to the Government upon completion of the relief projects.