Persistent drought has caused widespread water shortages in central and north China, affecting more than 27.5 million people, according to official statistics.
As the result of high temperatures, lack of rainfall and inadequate water storage, China's Henan and Hubei provinces as well as Ningxia Hui region and the Inner Mongolia region saw nearly four million people in need of basic living support, Xinhua quoted a statement from the Ministry of Civil Affairs as saying.
In Henan, the worst hit region, the drought had affected 19.3 million people and left 1.19 million in need of basic living aid as of Friday morning. Some 186,200 hectares of crops were destroyed, it said.
An almost equal amount of crops were destroyed in Inner Mongolia.
In terms of livestock, Inner Mongolia suffered the most with more than two million large farming animals, mainly horses and cows, in need of drinking water.