MOFCOM's newly appointed spokesperson He Yongqian Photo: Chu Daye/GT

China's Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday that it had organized relief efforts to flood-stricken areas in central and southern China amid broad government efforts to mitigate flood damage.

So far, more than 6,500 tons of relief materials including essential supplies have been dispatched to Huarong county, while some 8,000 tons of materials were sent to Pingjiang county, spokesperson He Yongqian told a press conference on Thursday. 

Huarong and Pingjiang are two counties located in Central China's Hunan Province that were heavily battered by floods.  

He, MOFCOM's newly appointed spokesperson, said that the ministry is making every effort to ensure the supply of essential supplies in areas affected by heavy rains and flooding in Hunan, Central China's Henan Province and East China's Shandong Province.

The ministry has activated emergency response measures and is guiding key areas in the organization of relief work to guarantee essential supplies for people in the disaster-stricken areas, He said.

The ministry is engaged in daily monitoring of the supply and demand situation at key areas, monitoring the price fluctuations of daily necessities such as grain, oil, meat, eggs, milk, fruits, vegetables as well as preprepared food and bottled water.

Some 700 key enterprises in Hunan and neighboring provinces tasked with providing supplies have ramped up their material inventories, with stock for essential supplies being lifted10-30 percent above normal levels.

Chinese government departments are engaged in an all-out relief effort. The Ministry of Finance said on Tuesday that it has allocated an additional 848 million yuan ($118.9 million) to support flood rescue efforts, prioritizing water infrastructure repair and removal of hazards.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on the same day that since the dike breach at Dongting Lake in Hunan, the ministry has deployed workers, trucks and generators to engage in emergency repairs, and has managed to maintain normal telecommunications coverage outside the waterlogged areas.

Also on Tuesday, the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee allocated 231 million yuan for rescue and disaster relief work across nine provincial-level regions, including Hunan and East China's Anhui Province.