China issues emergency response for Inner Mongolia drought

BEIJING - The government on Monday initiated a level-IV emergency response plan in response to the drought in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which has been the most severe on record in the region.

The National Commission for Disaster Reduction and the Ministry of Civil Affairs have dispatched teams to help with relief work.

The autonomous region has suffered from continuous hot weather this summer, with parts of the region reporting record-high temperatures and rainfall far below normal levels, according to local authorities.

More than 1.3 million people's livelihoods have been affected, making government assistance necessary.

Large swathes of crops and grassland have suffered and direct economic losses have been estimated at 8.3 billion yuan (about $1.25 billion).