Drought takes heavy toll on boarding schools

Lining up to get a few litres of water; no bathing or tooth brushing for weeks; clouds of flies crawling on the bed sheets, along the edges of bowls, and over the latrines; green vegetables a rarity in their diet. These are the realities of daily life for more than 24,000 students and teachers in 68 boarding schools in Shizong County, one of the areas worst-hit by the severe drought in Southwest China’s Yunnan province.

Children coping with life under dry skies

A boy drinks water in Jingxi county, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on April 8, 2010.

Villagers struggle for survival

Facing the worst drought in nearly a century in Southwest China's Guizhou province, people here are struggling for survival against a prolonged water shortage that has threatened their very lives.

Work dries up in rural areas

In order to save water and offset agricultural losses, Guiding county in drought-hit Guizhou province has started to mobilize 10,000 rural laborers to work in eastern provinces facing manpower shortages.

The water line in drought-hit SW China

Water, water, everywhere but ...

With about 1,000 rivers and lakes, Yunnan ranks third in China when it comes to water resources. It also wins bronze for its annual average rainfall. So in a region with such natural abundance, why are millions continuing to thirst as the southwest suffers its worst drought in 100 years?

1m students suffer water, vegetable supply shortages

More than 1 million students in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region are eating and bathing less as a prolonged drought parches southwest China.

Living life by the bucketful

Dozens of villagers crowded along both sides of the road in Tangjiacun village on Thursday, waiting eagerly for the tankers delivering water to the drought-hit village.

Drought lingers in SW China

The drought, the worst in 100 years in Yunnan and parts of Guizhou, would likely continue till May as no substantial rainfall was expected ahead of the rainy season, according to meteorological agencies.

Safe water project fails to quench countryside thirst

A project to provide safe water to millions of rural residents has fallen short of its goals, shows an audit released on Wednesday.

Hunger adds to drought's woes

Besides thirst, Yunnan farmer He Zhongcai has to battle another basic need - hunger, since the start of the lingering drought. Premier urges relief efforts

Drought lingers in China, 51 million affected

Severe drought has affected 51 million Chinese and left more than 16 million people and 11 million livestock with drinking water shortages, China's State Commission of Disaster Relief said Friday.