YINCHUAN - The prolonged drought in northwest Ningxia Hui autonomous region has caused water and food shortages for thousands of people, the local government said Friday.

About 353,000 people suffer water shortages and 456,000 face food scarcity in Ningxia after seven months of drought, according to a press release jointly issued by the regional disaster relief office and the civil affairs department.

It said Ningxia has experienced high temperatures and lack of rain since November. The average precipitation in the past seven weeks was 9.9 mm, less than half the normal volume reported for the same period of the previous 10 years.

In the driest counties of Pingluo, Xiji and Delong, precipitation was only 10 percent of the normal volume, it said.

The drought has so far affected 737 villages in 11 counties, mostly in the central and southern parts of Ningxia where the climate is traditionally arid.

The local weather bureau forecasts the drought will continue through June and July.

In addition to the much-feared water shortages, the local government said the drought has ruined 120,000 hectares of farmland, threatening food supplies for half a million people.

The regional government has sent relief teams to the drought-hit counties.

Specialists on water conservation, farming and meteorology are discussing ways to cope with the drought.