Focus on irrigation

Parched riverbeds, chapped plots, withered seedlings. These staggering signs of drought from the country's main wheat-producing areas put together a gloomy collage not seen for decades.

By Friday, 10.3 million hectares of crops had been affected and 4.29 million people had difficulty finding drinking water.

Satellite pictures show signs of a slight to moderate precipitation over some of the dry areas from Saturday. But, sadly, that will prove too inadequate to quench the protracted thirst.