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China drought leaves 5m short of water

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-08-23 14:31

BEIJING: A drought in China's north has left nearly 5 million people short of drinking water and damaged crops, while dry weather in the south could cause more shortages, a state news agency reported Sunday.

Related readings:  Freak weather kills 5, lessens drought in N. China  China allocates $26.6M for drought relief  Rain to relieve drought in NE China  Severe drought hits China's grain zones  Air pollution may cause severe drought in north

The drought has caused water shortages for 4.6 million people and 4.1 million head of livestock, the Xinhua News Agency said, citing an announcement by the national anti-drought administration.

Affected areas stretch from Jilin province in the northeast to the grasslands of Inner Mongolia in the north and the drought is spreading, Xinhua said, citing an administration official, Zhang Xu.

Crops on some 22 million acres (8.7 million hectares) of farmland have been damaged, the report said.

The drought agency also warned of possible water shortages in Hunan and Hubei provinces in the south because of low rainfall and high temperatures, Xinhua said.