China dispatches teams to aid drought relief work in Yunnan

BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Two specialized teams have been dispatched to southwest China's Yunnan Province to aid local drought relief work, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management on Tuesday.

Though the overall drought situation in China is mild, some southwestern regions are experiencing drought, particularly Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Chongqing, the ministry said.

It noted that though ongoing drought has affected some 703,000 people in Yunnan, there is a sufficient water supply.

In late March, precipitation in most parts of Chongqing, western Yunnan and central Xizang will be 30 to 60 percent higher than the average level over recent years, but precipitation in other parts of southwest China could come in at or slightly below that average, the ministry said.