The Chinese government will take measures to ensure that victims of disaster be guaranteed food, shelter, clothes and medical supplies in short time, said a senior Chinese official.

Wang Zhenyao, director of general disaster and social relief department of Ministry of Civil Affairs said during a recent interview that within 24 hours, the special working group from the central government must arrive at the disaster area, needed materials must be dispatched there and contingency fund must be allocated.

Wang said that the disaster relief work has to be carried out under the concept of comprehensive disaster relief stressed in the 11th five-year plan for disaster relief, which was recently issued.

The comprehensive disaster relief has two main aspects: the first is disaster relief measures covering the whole process before, during and after disasters, and the second is publicity campaigns to raise public awareness of what to do during the emergency.

According to the plan, 1000 model communities of comprehensive disaster relief will be built in the whole country, while 85 percent of communities will have disaster relief volunteer teams, and over 95 percent of the communities have a disaster messenger for each, said Wang.

The 11th five-year plan for disaster relief was issued on August 14. It outlines a range of measures to improve the response system to cope with the more frequent natural disasters caused by global warming.

(Xinhua News Agency September 3, 2007)