(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-08-23 09:06

 Hong Kong will donate HK$5.06 million (US$648,718) to carry out relief projects for flood victims in Bangladesh, India and Nepal, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said on Wednesday.

The government has accepted the advice of the Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee and approved two grants from the Disaster Relief Fund totaling HK$5.06 million to two relief agencies for relief projects for flood victims in Bangladesh, India and Nepal, a HKSAR government spokesman said.

The spokesman said the committee hoped the two grants - one of HK$3.56 million to Oxfam Hong Kong and the other of HK$1.5 million to World Vision Hong Kong - would help provide relief to flood victims in the three countries.

"To ensure that the money will be used for the designated purposes, the two relief agencies have been asked to submit evaluation reports and audited accounts on the use of the grants after the relief projects have been completed," the spokesman said.

The Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee is responsible for advising the HKSAR government on the policy and practices regarding the disbursement of funding for disaster relief from the Disaster Relief Fund, which was established in December 1993 for emergency disaster relief in places outside Hong Kong, as well as advising on specific amounts to specific recipients, and monitoring the use of grants.