Kunming (CNS) -- A total of 11.9 million people in Yunnan province have been affected by the lingering drought that began last October, according to local department of civil affairs on Monday.

Since the beginning of this year, the number of drought-hit regions in Yunnan has increased from five to 15, said the department.

As of Monday, 3.47 million local people have limited access to drinking water, and 2.56 million people are in bad need of assistance.

A total of 1.58 million large livestock have limited drinking water, and the drought has affected more than 1.26 million hectares of farmland in the province, according to the department.

Local flood control and drought relief headquarters in Yunnan issued a level-2 emergency response plan on April 3 to address the ongoing drought.