International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) launched a campaign to help Mongolian herders suffering from the zud disaster (extreme cold).

A total of CHF 150,000 (USD 147,220 or EUR 101,445) has been requested from the Federation’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the National Society in delivering immediate assistance to some 1,500 households or 6,000 people.

The announcement underlined that beginning from the end of December 2009, Mongolia witnessed a sharp and sudden drop of temperature combined with continuous heavy snowfall, commonly known as “dzud”. The current situation has caused a loss of hundreds of thousands of livestock, leaving many herders without any source of livelihood. As the dzud is a disaster which continues for weeks and months, there are difficulties in gathering information and conducting emergency assessments. The Mongolian Red Cross Society is responding to the disaster through its extensive network of primary and mid-level branches. The National Society has launched a national appeal to assist the herders who are suffering most due to their nomadic way of life. The appeal pointed out that Mongolia was experiencing a continuous heavy snowfall combined with extreme cold. Local media indicate that approximately 90 per cent of the country is suffering from dzud with snowfall reaching between 20-100 centimeters. The average temperature in northern Mongolia has dropped to -35 degrees Celsius, while the temperatures in the rest of country ranging between -22 to -17 degrees Celsius. So far, the coldest temperature of -47 degrees was recorded in Uvs province in northern Mongolia. As of 10 January 2010, a total of 198 counties in 19 provinces were suffering from these harsh conditions, together with severe snow storms or blizzards that are classified as between dangerous to extremely hazardous by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). NEMA estimates that a total of 454,000 heads of livestock have died, out of which up to 89 per cent belonged to the ten worst affected provinces. The total loss of livestock is approximately 10 per cent of the estimated 43.6 million heads of livestock in Mongolia. Unofficial sources report that livestock losses may reach up to two million across the country. From December 2009 to 11 January 2010, the number of people referred to hospitals due to frostbite reached 73, i.e. twice high compared to the same period of the previous year. Up to five people died during a snow storm that battered the country between 23 and 26 December. In spite of the small number of deaths reported, the dzud by its nature typically poses various health risks and social challenges:

The government-appointed working groups are operating in the eight most-affected provinces and plan to mobilize cross-country armed forces and border troop vehicles to open blocked roads and deliver hay, fodder, food, clothes and medicines to the herding families. The Mongolian government plans to allocate a total of MNT 315 million (approximately CHF 217,000 or USD 213,000) to Dundgobi, Zavkhan, Uvurkhangai, Bayankhongor, Gobi-Altai, Umnugobi, Arkhangai, Bayan-Ulgii, Tuv, Uvs, Khuvsgul and Khovd provinces to deliver urgent health and social care services to herders.

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