A total of 45,000 local families in the flood-ravaged areas in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region will move to newly built houses by the end of the year, according to the regional civil affairs authority.

Guangxi has recently worked out a reconstruction plan for its flood-stricken areas. Under the plan, flood-affected families will get an average of 2,000-2,500 yuan (US$242-303) to help them resume normal life. The regional government and local governments will help every flood-affected family whose houses devastated by the floods build at least one house of 30 square meters or larger.

Severe floods ravaged Guangxi from June 18 to 27, claiming 54 lives and damaging 45,000 houses and nearly 410,000 hectares of farmland. Approximately 8 million people were affected and direct economic loss of more than seven billion yuan (US$843 million) was incurred.
 
(Xinhua News Agency July 15, 2005)