No. 22/2001
Vienna, Austria, March 27, 2001
The OPEC Fund for International Development today approved an emergency assistance grant of US$100,000 to help purchase urgently needed relief items for nomadic farming families in Mongolia affected by the exceptionally harsh winter weather. Still trying to recover from a similar catastrophe that occurred during the winter of 1999-2000, affecting almost half a million herders, these people are in desperate need of food, medical supplies and clothing.
Mongolia has just experienced its second Dzud, a severe blizzard preceded by one of the worst droughts in over 60 years. With most of the country buried under a deep layer of snow, and temperatures plummeting to well below zero, damage is estimated at around US$84 million. At least 300,000 herders are living under harsh conditions and have lost over 850,000 heads of livestock, a devastating blow for a population that relies on animal husbandry for their livelihoods as well as for the provision of food, shelter and fuel. The situation is worsening, and it is predicted that up to 6.6 million animals, or 20% of the country's total herd, will perish by the end of May. With agriculture providing the mainstay of Mongolia's economy, these losses have caused an economic crisis in a country where almost half of its inhabitants live in poverty.
In January this year, a UN/Government of Mongolia Appeal for Assistance was launched to raise funds for the procurement of priority items for livestock survival operations, food and medical supplies, water and sanitation items, as well as blankets and clothing.
The Fund's grant will be channeled through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and will be used to purchase relief items such as food, first aid kits, radios and spare batteries.