BEIJING, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese central government Wednesday allocated 120 million yuan (19 million U.S. dollars) to drought-stricken areas in southwestern Yunnan province.

The relief funds, jointly arranged by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA), will be dedicated to secure basic supply of food and drinking water, according to a statement issued by the MCA.

Since December, a persistent drought in Yunnan has affected more than 6 million people, leaving about 2.4 million people and 1.5 million livestock short of drinking water, said the statement.

The drought, triggered by continuous low precipitation and abnormal atmospheric circulation, has also affected 651,080 hectares of crops and caused around 2.3 billion yuan in economic losses throughout the province, it added.

The government of Yunnan has also vowed to ensure supplies of drinking water for millions of drought victims, earmarking 179.8 million yuan (28.5 million U.S. dollars) for a drought relief fund and mobilizing 1.95 million people in its efforts to neutralize the drought.