Over the past week the number of people facing water shortages jumped from 2.43 million to 5.9 million, Xinhua news agency said, citing the State Flood and Drought Relief Headquarters.
The number of livestock without sufficient drinking water, the report said, had jumped to 5.67 million from 1.89 million.
Northeastern parts of the country have been hardest hit by the drought, accounting for 60% of the drought-hit area, the report added.
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