Mongolian herders have endured months of extreme cold, known as the \u201cdzud\u201d, that have already claimed the lives of about 4.7 million livestock animals, according to Mongolia\u2019s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), prompting an emergency appeal for assistance from the Red Cross. At least 2,250 herder families have lost more 70 percent of their livestock, as this year\u2019s dzud blankets grazing lands in deep snow and ice, according to the Red Cross, and there are predictions many more animals will be unable to survive the next few weeks. About 30 percent of the country\u2019s 3.3 million people are nomadic herders, living in dwellings known as gers or yurts on the country\u2019s vast open steppes. Olga Dzhumaeva, head of the East Asia delegation of the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), said herders were facing \u201cthe loss of their precious livestock\u201d and \u201cimmense pressures on people\u2019s mental and physical health. \u201cThe ongoing livestock deaths, diminishing resources and deteriorating conditions of hundreds of thousands of people in Mongolia this winter is a stark reminder of the urgent need for assistance,\u201d she said in a statement on Tuesday. Mongolians are used to enduring cold conditions, especially during the winter months from December to March, but extreme cold is known as dzud \u2013 the Mongolian word for disaster. During dzuds, temperatures in some parts of the country fall as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius (minus 58 Fahrenheit). This year\u2019s dzud has seen numerous blizzards, bringing heavy snow. According to the United Nations, dzuds are already becoming more common with climate change. This is the sixth dzud Mongolia has experienced in the past decade, with herders still struggling to recover after last year\u2019s harsh winter which claimed the lives of 4.4 million livestock animals. A drought last summer also meant that many animals were not able to build up enough fatty stores ahead of the colder months. Climate change has disrupted Mongolia\u2019s four season cycle, leading to a rise \u201cin recurrent summer droughts and subsequent harsh winters\u201d since 2015, Tapan Mishra, the UN resident coordinator in Mongolia, said last month. The loss of grazing options for livestock has meant herders already used up their hay and fodder stocks months earlier than usual, the Red Cross says. According to official data, Mongolia had some 64.7 million livestock animals at the end of 2023. Mongolia is known for its unique breeds of sheep, cattle, horses, goats, dromedaries, Bactrian camels and yaks, according to the UN\u2019s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). These include the Bayad sheep, which can endure even Mongolia\u2019s coldest regions after centuries of selective breeding, and provide families with milk, wool and meat. The loss of so many livestock has placed strains on herder communities, who were \u201cprepared for harsh conditions, but not to such an extent\u201d, according to the Red Cross. Bolormaa Nordov, secretary-general of the Mongolian Red Cross Society (MRCS), said she hoped a new Red Cross appeal would help to \u201cminimise the impact of the Dzud emergency and support households with longer-term solutions for their lives and livelihoods\u201d. IFRC\u2019s Dzhumaeva said Mongolians were surviving, but were in urgent need of help. \u201cYet we see the unwavering hope and resilience of so many families as they battle winter\u2019s wrath with incredible strength,\u201d said Dzhumaeva.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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