At the resumed second session of the United Nations Habitat Assembly in Nairobi, a senior Chinese official highlighted the critical role of China’s housing policies in promoting poverty reduction and job creation.

Dong Jianguo, the vice minister of housing and urban-rural development, reported that China’s poverty alleviation campaign prioritizes housing safety for rural impoverished populations, resolving safety issues for 23.416 million impoverished households.

The Chinese government has committed over 310 billion yuan (approximately 43 billion U.S. dollars) in subsidies towards the renovation of rural dilapidated housing, complemented by additional funds from provincial, municipal, and county governments.

Plans are underway to construct and provide over 1 million new affordable housing units by 2025.

The UN-Habitat Assembly, which convenes in Nairobi, gathers around 1,200 delegates from 193 UN member states, including various officials and representatives from civil society.

Anaclaudia Rossbach, executive director of the UN Human Settlements Program, emphasized the necessity for increased political commitment and policy reforms to facilitate broader access to decent housing, particularly in the Global South.

In further advancements, Shen Haiping, a health official with the National Health Commission, announced continued improvements in child health in China, with the national infant mortality rate dropping to 4 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality rate to 5.6 per 1,000.

This achievement places China among the leading countries in child health within the upper-middle-income bracket.

Over the past decade, China has made notable strides, with life expectancy increasing by an average of 3.8 years, significantly influenced by drops in under-5 mortality rates.

Amid these developments, China faces environmental challenges, particularly a persistent drought impacting agriculture.

Authorities are implementing a range of measures to mitigate the drought’s effects, which affects critical grain-growing regions.

The average temperature has risen by 5.7 degrees Celsius above seasonal norms, coinciding with a significant reduction in rainfall—down 10.6% from typical levels, marking the driest conditions since 2012.

Chinese officials confirm that drought has affected nearly 2.02 million square kilometers, complicating the growing conditions for essential summer crops.

Localized efforts, including improving water allocation and conducting cloud-seeding operations, are undertaken to address these agricultural challenges.

Recent data indicates that China’s grain output reached a record high of 706.5 million tonnes in 2024.

The Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong has called for continuous efforts to maintain the progress made in poverty alleviation and ensure a successful transition for rural areas post-campaign.

Urgent actions are encouraged to prevent backsliding into poverty and to enhance the quality of supportive industries.

Liu emphasized the importance of collaboration between eastern and western regions of China to achieve comprehensive rural development.