Submerged buildings at a flood-affected village in Kaili, in southwestern Guizhou Province, China, on June 28, 2025. STR/AFP via Getty Images
At least 25 million people in China were affected by natural disasters in the first half of this year, with direct economic losses totaling $7.5 billion, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) reported at a press conference on July 15.
According to MEM spokesperson Shen Zhanli, the primary types of natural calamities during this period were earthquakes, flooding, and geological disasters, resulting in 307 deaths or missing persons, the evacuation of 620,000 individuals, the collapse of 29,600 homes, damage to an additional 347,200 homes, and damage to 5.4 million acres of farmland.
