BEIJING (Commodity Online) : China’s Southwest remained drought stricken as more than 24 million people were short of drinking water.

The worst drought in a century forced China to sent 1.4m tonnes of emergency grain supplies to the affected southern provinces.



However authorities claimed that food supplies would not be affected by the dry spell, which has spread across Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces, the Guangxi region and the mega-city of Chongqing.

Most of those affected live in the southwest where meteorologists say the situation will not improve until the rainy season, which should kick off after May 20.

China set aside $923 million to help mitigate the immediate effects of the drought and bring drinking water to the affected population.

The drought has left 18 million people and 11million livestock, according to the ministry of civil affairs.

As Yunnan is home to several of Asia's biggest rivers, including the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween, the downstream impact of a prolonged drought is of concern to almost a billion people.

The economic damage is already estimated at 24bn yuan and with more than 7m hectares of farmland affected, including China's biggest horticulture base, the amount could rapidly grow unless there is rain.

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