China floods render tens of thousands homeless

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China floods render tens of thousands homeless

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Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee homes in southwest China after flooding.

07 August,2011 01:27 pm

At least 21 people have died and many are still missing. Roads, bridges and hundreds of homes and cars have been destroyed in the onslaught.The floods toll comes after months of crop-destroying drought in the centre and north of the country.The provincial civil affairs office in Guizhou said that floods have hit 11 cities and counties since 3 June.At least 270,000 people have been affected, 45,000 evacuated and 3,000 stranded.Before the deluge, some areas along the Yangtze River have suffered their worst drought in half a century. Even with the rain - and more is forecast in the coming days - officials have warned that the crop shortages and dislocation caused by drought will remain severe.Large swathes of China have had almost no rain since October, affecting millions of hectares of crops and leaving many short of drinking water.Analysts say crop shortages in China could affect prices around the world.The countrys central bank is offering emergency loans for drought-relief projects in northern, central and eastern areas.Officials are trying to calm fears over shortages, saying the country has enough in reserve to meet demand.