ALGIERS, October 6, 2008 (KUNA) -- Algerian authorities declared Monday the province of Ghardaia in southern Algeria that witnessed floods last Wednesday, a "disaster area." Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahya who recently visited the area said that the government has pledged $US 300 million to repair the devastation caused by the floods. The amount will target the rebuilding of homes, schools, the telephone exchange and infrastructure in the area. He vowed that families would return to reconstructed homes by December 31, under strict directions by the country's President Abdulaziz Bouteflika. Recent floods in Algeria claimed the lives of 40 people, injuring 100 others as well as the destruction of 1,400 houses and a number of schools not to mention damage to infrastructure.