Natural Disaster Relief Regulations promulgated by the State Council
Xinhuanet Beijing, July 14 (Xinhua) - Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council recently signed State Council Decree No. 577, promulgating the "Natural Disaster Relief Regulations", which take effect on September 1, 2010.
The regulations consist of seven chapters and thirty-five articles, and were formulated for the purpose of regulating natural disaster relief work and safeguarding the basic livelihood of disaster-affected people.
The regulations stipulate that natural disaster relief work shall follow the principles of putting people first, government leadership, tiered management, social mutual assistance, and self-rescue by disaster victims. Natural disaster relief work shall be subject to the administrative leadership responsibility system of people's governments at all levels.
The regulations stipulate that local people's governments at or above the county level and their relevant departments shall, in accordance with relevant laws, regulations and rules, the emergency response plans of people's governments at higher levels and their relevant departments, and the natural disaster risk investigation conditions of their administrative areas, formulate corresponding natural disaster relief emergency response plans. A natural disaster relief emergency response plan shall include the following contents: the natural disaster relief emergency organization and command system and its duties; natural disaster relief emergency response teams; natural disaster relief emergency funds, materials and equipment; early warning and forecasting of natural disasters and reporting and handling of disaster information; the levels of natural disaster relief emergency response and corresponding measures; and post-disaster emergency relief and measures for the recovery and reconstruction of residents' housing.
The regulations stipulate that when a natural disaster occurs and the conditions for activating a natural disaster relief emergency response plan are met, the people's government at or above the county level or the comprehensive coordinating body for natural disaster relief emergency response of the people's government shall promptly activate the natural disaster relief emergency response and take one or more of the following measures: immediately release to society the government's response measures and public precautionary measures; urgently relocate and resettle disaster-affected people; urgently allocate and transport natural disaster relief emergency funds and materials, promptly provide disaster-affected people with emergency relief such as food, drinking water, clothing and bedding, heating, temporary shelter, and medical care and epidemic prevention, and safeguard the basic livelihood of disaster-affected people; comfort disaster-affected people and handle the aftermath affairs of those who died in the disaster; organize disaster-affected people to carry out self-rescue and mutual rescue; analyze and assess disaster trends and the needs of disaster areas, and take corresponding natural disaster relief measures; and organize natural disaster relief donation activities.
The regulations stipulate that the people's government of a disaster-affected area shall, on the premise of ensuring safety, adopt a combination of on-site resettlement and off-site resettlement, and government resettlement and self-arranged resettlement, to provide transitional resettlement for disaster-affected people. On-site resettlement shall be selected at locations with convenient transportation and convenient for resuming production and life, and shall avoid areas where secondary natural disasters may occur, and shall occupy as little cultivated land as possible or no cultivated land.
The regulations stipulate that natural disaster relief funds and materials shall be used for expenditures such as the urgent relocation and resettlement of disaster-affected people, basic livelihood relief, medical relief, the recovery and reconstruction of public service facilities such as education and medical care and housing, the procurement, storage and transportation of natural disaster relief materials, and the comfort of the relatives of those who died in the disaster. The civil affairs, finance and other departments of the people's government of a disaster-affected area and relevant social organizations shall, through newspapers, radio, television and the Internet, proactively disclose to society the sources, quantities and use of the natural disaster relief funds and materials and donated funds and materials they have received. (Reporter Sui Xiaofei)