The Chinese central government on Wednesday allocated an additional 496 million yuan ($68 million) to support disaster relief efforts in nine provincial areas across the country.

The funds were jointly approved by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management, according to an official release.

The fund is designated to assist nine provincial areas in East, Central and South China, including Zhejiang, Hunan, Guizhou and Guangdong, in coping with floods and geological disasters.

The release said that the funds would be primarily used for emergency rescue and relief for affected people, adding that those efforts include supporting rescue and relocation of disaster victims, eliminating dangers, conducting secondary disaster risk assessments, and repairing damaged houses.

Also on Wednesday, the National Commission for Disaster Reduction activated a Level IV emergency response for the severe rainstorm and flooding in Hunan province.

The commission dispatched a working group to the disaster-hit areas to inspect the disaster situation and assist local authorities in ensuring the basic living needs of the affected residents.