1. THERE HAS BEEN NO SIGN OF IMPROVEMENT OF THE SITUATION. DUE TO THE UNUSUALLY DRY WEATHER, FIRES STILL CONTINUE TO BREAK OUT. THE LATEST REPORT INDICATES THAT, AS OF 27 MAY, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FIRES HAD NOW REACHED 340 (53 INCREASE SINCE 9 MAY) WITH 38 SPOTS STILL BURNING OUT OF CONTROL IN TUV, BULGAN, SELENGE, HUVSGUL, ARKHANGAI, ZAVKHAN AND UVURKHANGAI AIMAGS. AN ADDITIONAL 100 FIRES WERE STILL BURNING BUT UNDER SOME CONTROL. 202 FIRES HAD BEEN EXTINGUISHED.

2. ABOUT 8,500 LOCAL RESIDENTS, 150 PARACHUTISTS,

1. ON 9 MAY, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER OF MONGOLIA AND CHAIRMAN OF THE STATE EMERGENCY COMMISSION CONVENED A MEETING IN ULAANBAATAR TO PROVIDE THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE STEPPE AND FOREST FIRE SITUATION IN THE COUNTRY. AS OF 7.A.M. , 9 MAY 1996, 6 FIRES WERE STILL BURNING UNCONTROLLED WHILE AN ADDITIONAL 95 SPOTS WERE BURNING BUT HAD BEEN BROUGHT UNDER SOME CONTROL. 186 FIRES WERE EXTINGUISHED.

2. 5 TO 15 CM OF SNOW FELL IN HUVSGUL AND ARKHANGAI AIMAGS AFTER THE CREW OF AN ANTONOV-26 AIRCRAFT RELEASED

1. LATEST REPORTS INDICATE 63 FIRES STILL BURNING AND 55 SPOTS NOW UNDER CONTROL. DESTRUCTION OF TELEPHONE LINES MAKES EXACT COUNT AND ASSESSMENT DIFFICULT.

2. WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO REMAIN UNFAVOURABLE, MAKING IT IMPERATIVE TO PREVENT POSSIBLE NEW FIRES FROM SPREADING.

NATIONAL RESPONSE

3. STATE EMERGENCY COMMISSION HAS MOBILIZED OVER 500 VEHICLES. MONGOLIAN TRADE UNION FEDERATION PROVIDED CASH ASSISTANCE TO AFFECTED AREAS.

APPEAL FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE

4. UNCHANGED FROM PREVIOUS REPORT.

1. THE GOVERNMENT OF MONGOLIA HAS ISSUED AN APPEAL FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR FIGHTING THE HUGE SPRING FIRE AND PROVIDING RELIEF TO THE VICTIMS.

2. FOREST AND STEPPE FIRES WHICH STARTED LATE FEBRUARY AND RAPIDLY SPREAD INTO A LARGE AREA OF NORTHERN HALF OF MONGOLIA HAVE NOW BURNT 3 MILLION HA OF FOREST AND 5 MILLION HA OF PASTURELAND. 5 PERSONS ARE DEAD, 16 SERIOULY INJURED. MORE THAN 300 PERSONS HAVE BEEN LEFT HOMELESS.

3. MORE THAN 4,000 PERSONS HAVE