China seeks more non-governmental support to help needy

China's Ministry of Civil Affairs is looking for more non-governmental support to aid the homeless and beggars, as it looks to adopt a more pro-active and efficient approach to help the needy.

According to a ministry guideline Wednesday, local civil affairs authorities have been asked to mobilize grassroots-level administrations, social workers, volunteers and other enthusiasts to report the whereabouts of the needy and offer them timely and professional assistance.

The ministry said it encourages charitable donations, health care and education services for the homeless and beggars.

The ministry requires its local bureaus to offer training to non-governmental sectors in a bid to help them better understand policies, regulations and other specifications.

Prior to the publication of the guideline, two cases caused widespread concern over the plight of the needy.

Five abandoned children were found dead in a dumpster on Nov. 16 in Bijie, a city in southwest China's Guizhou Province. Two weeks later, a peasant died under a highway overpass in a central China city of Zhengzhou after at least three weeks of fighting illness, hunger and cold.