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Mongolia: Dzud - Dec 2016

Disaster description

It is expected that dzud may mainly affect the northern parts of the country. Currently, 110 soums (townships) in 13 aimags (provinces), which is around 32 per cent of the total number of soums in country, are starting to experience hardship. (IFRC, 17 Dec 2016)

Mongolia’s Deputy Prime Minister Khurelsukh Ukhnaa called for international help at a special meeting with international aid agencies on 15 December, following the warning issued by the National Emergency Management Agency and National Agency for Meteorology and Environment Monitoring in November. (Save the Children, 20 Dec 2016)

Existing resources and coping mechanisms were reported insufficient and/or severely stretched as a result of the unusual and early snowfall throughout October and November. On 23 December, the Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia issued a letter to the international community in Mongolia calling for financial and technical assistance. (OCHA, 27 Dec 2016)

As of 16 January 2017, severe winter conditions affected an estimated 157,000 people (37,000 herder households) across 17 out of 21 provinces in Mongolia. A drought during the summer of 2016 has depleted herders’ reserves of hay and fodder in the eastern part of the country, putting at risk livestock, which are a vital source of food, transport and income for thousands of people. Multipurpose cash grants to support life-saving basic needs, emergency agricultural inputs and veterinary first aid kits have been identified as priority needs. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has established a task force (from January to May) to coordinate the response to the harsh winter conditions. (OCHA, 16 Jan 2017)

United Nations has allocated $1.1 million through its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to launch a rapid humanitarian response and provide life-saving assistance, which aims to address the most urgent needs of 3,500 poorest and most vulnerable herder households across 36 soums in 13 aimags. (UN Resident Coordinator for Mongolia, 24 Jan 2017)

On 10 February, IFRC launched an emergency appeal for CHF 655,512 to assist 11,264 people for 10 months. (IFRC, 10 Feb 2017)

As of 15 February, the Government of Mongolia is reporting dzud or near dzud conditions in 127 soums of 17 provinces, and two districts of Ulaanbaatar City. It is estimated that 165,282 people (43,579 herder households) are at risk. One quarter are children, pregnant women, people with special needs and elderly people. (UN Resident Coordinator for Mongolia, 27 Feb 2017)

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