A total of 4.9 million people are facing water shortages in southwestern Yunnan Province as drought continues to ravage south China, according to the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.

The drought had affected 22.43 million Mu (3.84 million hectares) of crops, including 15.37 million Mu in serious damage and 3.85 million Mu withered as of Friday, Zhang Zhitong, deputy head of the Office of the headquarters.

The drought also threatened water supply for 3.34 million heads of livestock, according to the latest statistics from the headquarters.

Yunnan has mobilized 6.4 million people to fight the drought, Zhang said.

The headquarters urged authorities in drought-hit areas including Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Chongqing and Sichuan to step up efforts in fighting drought and ensure water supply for people and agricultural uses.

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