More than a million people in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region have been affected by drought, said the regional civil affairs department on Monday.

It said about 1.05 million people from 12 counties and districts have been left thirsty by drought that has lingered since May. More than half these people are in need of basic supplies while 450,000 are short of drinking water.

Some 170,000 hectares of cropland have been damaged by the drought, with 50 hectares totally destroyed. Autumn harvest yields in the region are expected to be greatly reduced.

The drought has also left 720,000 livestock short of drinking water, resulting in economic losses of about 500 million yuan (78.2 million U.S.dollars), according to the department.

The regional government has allocated more than 40 million yuan in relief funds, but more funding is needed as the drought is likely to continue.