Australia said Friday it will provide additional 750,000 Australian dollars (US$714,000) to help disaster recovery and risk reduction activities in earthquake-affected areas of Sichuan Province in China.

Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said in a statement that his country would provide 500,000 dollars to help reconstruction planning through the World Bank's Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery. The rest 250,000 dollars will be addressed to the acute psychological distress of communities adversely affected by the earthquake.

"Chinese authorities will conduct a damage, loss and needs assessment for recovery and reconstruction. This will be supported by the World Bank Facility," Smith said.

(one Australian dollars equals US$0.952)

(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2008)