Farmers work in the field in Xigang Village of Shibu County in Nanchang City, east China's Jiangxi Province, March 5, 2020. At Xigang Village of Shibu County, a provincial-level impoverished village, farmers are busy harvesting asparagus at the poverty alleviation asparagus planting base as people returned to work at the bases in Xinjian District of Nanchang City. (Xinhua/Peng Zhaozhi)

China has rolled out a slew of measures to strengthen social assistance for people most in need and fight against poverty, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Sunday.

A census targeting poor people will be launched to ensure those eligible are covered by the social security system and have access to supportive policies, the ministry said at a teleconference on poverty relief.

Efforts will be intensified to support disadvantaged groups, including the elderly, the disabled and minors who are incapable of working, have no source of income, and have no others to rely on for support, it said.

The ministry also stressed encouraging social organizations to participate in poverty relief and accelerating the implementation of charity projects to combat poverty.

Targeted assistance will be provided for areas of extreme poverty, said the ministry, calling for more relief projects, financial support and personnel training for these regions.