Mongolia: Floods - Jul 2023

Flooding triggered by heavy rains since the beginning of the week and damage to a dam at the Selbe River have resulted in hundreds of people being displaced and damage to infrastructure in Mongolia's capital, Ulaanbaatar. According to media reports, over 100 residential buildings and hundreds of traditional yurts and vehicles have been flooded in the city. Additionally, 702 infrastructure facilities, such as roads, bridges, dams, and power transmission lines, have been damaged. The water levels of major rivers in and around the city have been flowing above the warning levels. The government declared a "high alert" in Ulaanbaatar on Wednesday 5 July, as more rain is forecast until the end of the week. (ECHO, 7 Jul 2023)

Heavy rain continues to affect Mongolia since 3 July 2023. The situation was exacerbated by the collapse of the Selbe River Dam, increasing the flooding in Ulaanbaatar. According to IFRC, 128,000 people from 31,600 households have been affected, while media reports indicate that more than 20,000 people are now in safe shelters. The government declared a ‘high alert’ in Ulaanbaatar on 5 July as rains are forecasted to continue until 15 July 2023. In addition, media quoted the government experts that it is heaviest in the last 50 years. (ECHO, 14 Jul 2023)

After the floods which impacted the capital in the first week of July affecting a total of 128 thousand households, on 5 August, new flash floods affected the district of Bayanzurkh, causing a total of four causalities, damages to 246 buildings and impacting a total of 325 households, and the displacement of 100 people. The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection is leading the response at the request of the State Emergency Commission. The UN and international partners are supporting the response to the most affected households. (OCHA, 9 Aug 2023)