About 800,000 people are suffering from water shortages in southwest China's Guizhou Province after a five-month drought, local officials said Tuesday.

Data from the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters shows the drought has affected 220,000 hectares of crops, with 160,000 hectares seriously damaged and 8,000 hectares destroyed.

The drought has also threatened water supply for 370,000 livestock.

As of Tuesday, Guizhou Province had mobilized 166,000 people and 2,910 water trucks to fight the prolonged drought.

(Xinhua News Agency February 9, 2010)