China steps up drought relief

China's drought relief office has called for intensified efforts to deal with the crisis in the south of the country.

Figures from the office show as of Wednesday, the drought had affected over a 1 million hectares of farmland in several provinces. Nearly a fifth of these provinces are suffering serious drought. The water shortage has affected 2.5 million people and more than 600,000 head of livestock.

The drought relief office has directed local authorities to ensure water supplies for drinking and irrigation in winter. It says the central government will offer huge subsidies to help ease conditions.

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