5.9 million Chinese short of drinking water: report

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2008

BEIJING (AFP) — The number of people facing drinking water shortages in China has more than doubled to 5.9 million because of a severe winter drought, state media reported.

The figures released late Friday jumped from 2.43 million a week earlier, the Xinhua news agency said, citing figures from the State Flood and Drought Relief Headquarters.

A spokesman was quoted saying the situation was due to lingering and severe winter drought.

The number of livestock without sufficient drinking water had jumped to 5.67 million from 1.89 million, and 15.8 million hectares of land (39 million acres) have been affected compared to 2.9 million hectares at the same time last year, it said.

Northeastern parts of the country have been hardest hit by the drought...